Unmasking The Past
by Kaleidoscope
Summary: [AU] Rainzzi meets Sirius in a sharp stare and swings off his hand, inwardly wishing he didn’t survive Bellatrix’s curse. “Catch him!” Fudge orders. Guess what the Auror fiancée does? She handcuffs & arrests Sirius!
1. Chapter 1

_It's an AU in which Sirius lives on and continues to rock! The background of the story is Harry's summer before he starts his sixth year while Voldemort is still at large, hoping to predominate the world. So that three blocs of people (Order of the __Phoenix__, Death Eaters & the Ministry) are struggling to get the upper hand. I hope you'd like it _:)

–––––––––––––––––**  
****Unmasking The Past****  
**–––––––––––––––––

"_Stupefy!_"

As Bellatrix Lestrange sprang out of harm's way with a manoeuvre, Sirius advanced on her. They were dueling one on one just in front of an ancient archway. When he aimed his wand at her again, there was a round of simultaneous gasps and shouts.

Sirius tore his eyes from Bellatrix in alert and searched for his godson in the mist of the Death Room. To his relief, Harry was standing at a corner with a plumb boy, unaccompanied by any potential harm. Blowing air from the corners of his mouth, Sirius turned back to his cousin.

It was lucky he had turned a second earlier than Bellatrix hoped, he duck the spell directed at him just in time. Looking at her sullen face, the once beautiful face that he hadn't seen in twenty years, he laughed belligerently, "Come on, you can do better than_ that_!" His voice echoed around the cavernous room.

He could always quickly end the little fight, since he clearly had got the upper hand over Bellatrix now. But he wasn't ready to let her rejoy so soon. She deserved a bit more suffering and struggles before being arrested and locked in Azkaban again. And he deserved a bit more actions and enjoyment before letting go. He knew he was being reckless and provocative, but who could blame him for that?

For more than 15 years, he had been shouldering the condemnation of a crime he didn't commit, while psychologically he couldn't help feeling guilty that his miscalculated judgment had led to the deaths of two of the people that he had loved the most. The decade he spent in Azkaban was awful, days after days he dreamt of the Potters, of some other people and of scenes from his life before being sentenced to prison. And sometimes when the Dementors were not starved, when he was able to muse, he would think of possibilities. All kind of possibilities. Then he sank to deep regrets and self-shamefulness every time. The years in prison were with no doubt the most intolerable period in his life, but he was not much better off in the 3 years afterwards.

The worries about Harry's safety, the need to lie low and be cautious of being spotted, and the comprehension that he couldn't contribute much to the Order, etc had been killing him mentally. And all he could do to vent out his frustration was to ripe his parents' house apart, but even that had to be under repression as providing the house as headquarter of the Order was the only thing he could do.

Memories, and denials of chance had tormented him for years. And this could go on forever and ever. This was his only chance to prove that he was a completely able man, one who should be valued and fully utilised.

"Want to join the Dark lord, cousin?" Bellatrix was hissing under her breath, her smile a tight but malignant one. "You will be far more successful than being a dog at the old fool's –"

"_Expelliarmus_" Sirius yelled. The spell missed Bellatrix by a millimeter, but he was surprisingly not irritated in the least bit. "You freak, you know what you are? A piece of scum. Not even qualified as animals."

He spared a second to look at Bellatrix's intoxicated face, she didn't seem discouraged in the least bit; instead she shot him another curse. She let out a shriek of triumph as the jet of red light hit him squarely in the chest. Sirius widened his eyes in surprise as he was forced backward. He couldn't even draw a breath before he felt the cool surface of the veil on his back. And as the smell of grave invaded his nostrils, his eyes were suddenly clouded over. For a moment it was as though he had lost his sight, for he couldn't see anything but whiteness. The blinding white light was hurting his eyes, but as sudden as the light had appeared, it was gone.

In place of the white light was something like films. Scenes were flashing like mad; it was like someone invisible with a million hands was rolling the films up nonstop. Sirius willed himself to open his eyes wider and then a horrible realisation struck him hard.

_He was going to die._

He was definitely going to die, he had once heard someone saying that in the nanoseconds before one died, the person would first review his whole life again. And … that's exactly that.

From the blurry images, he could roughly make out some important moments in his life. He saw himself sitting on his mother's bedside staring at a new-born baby … playing unwillingly with Bellatrix and Narcissa … being scolded for his unsatisfactory behaviour … and was given a lecture before the tapestry in Grimmauld Place.

Then he caught glimpse of James and himself dealing in their first encounter … both of them bullying Snape … Moony, Wormtail, Prongs and Padfoot striding across the Hogwarts ground under a full moon … their graduation feast … the Auror training … James and Lily's wedding … and _her_.

* * *

_"Sirius."_

_He turned around in the couch. A little smile tugged on the corners of his lips at the sight of her looking out from the French door. "They've all left," she informed him._

_"Come here, Rainzzi." The smile deepened. _

_He reached out for her waist and swept her onto his lap as she arrived. "What're you doing out here?" she asked in a whisper._

_"Musing." He leaned in and laid a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. "About James and Lily…and little Harry."_

_She gave a discontented pout and gestured to leave, but he tightened his grasp. "They look very blissful together," he stated. Tilting her head to one side, she gave him a quizzical look before she turned and gazed up at the stars._

_He stared at her in silence for a while, running his fingers gracefully in her long dark hair. And then he said abruptly, "I am jealous of James."_

_She looked at him in awe, "You what?"_

_"I envy him," he repeated, "because he has a family and I don't."_

_She held his eyes in a hard stare, as if trying to penetrate his mind. "You've got me."_

_"It's different," he said, his voice deadpan._

_A surge of hurt spread all over her gorgeous face as she lifted her hands from his arms and looked away, biting her bottom lip. "I know you aren't _that_ in love with me as James with Lily."_

_Alarmed, he launched himself out of the couch after a few moments of uncomfortable muteness but gently forced her back on it. She determinedly avoided his gaze when he knelt down before her. _

_"I didn't mean it th__at__ way," he took her hands in his, rubbing some warmth into them. "You know that!"_

_"Yeah?" she murmured miserably in mock obliviousness. "So what did you mean then?"_

_"Listen to me, Rainzzi," he whispered in a hush, eager to vindicate. He took a deep breath before he carried on tranquilly, "You know how my family is like. Ever since I learnt how to walk, they tried to indoctrinate me with the ideology of pure-blood. When I was strong enough to argue with them, they didn't reason with me, they just tried to make me get used to the purity mania. They are no family of mine. I have never got a family." He shook his head hopelessly and paused. "When I look at James and Lily, I get jealous. I realise then that they are the family I have dreamt of having__…__They are how a perfect family should be._

_"And do you know what creeps into my mind whenever I look at them?" He looked sincerely into her puzzled eyes. "I imagine us to be in their positions."_

_He dug his hand in his pocket and produced a little velvety box, opened it and placed one of her hands on the thing inside. "As husband and wife."_

_She widened her eyes in shock as she took in the sight of a fine silver ring, on which bound a sparkling sapphire in the middle. "Si-"_

_"When I said we are different from James and Lily, I meant it. There's such a difference between a dating couple and a married one in terms of commitment. I've always been afraid of serious commitment__…__but I've come to comprehend that a serious commitment is more of a blessing than curse__ sometimes__." He leaned closer, "Rainzzi, I know you are a bit too young for a marriage. If you prefer to postpone it, I'd happily wait for you. But can you just grant me an engagement?"_

_He looked into her eyes and cleared his throat momentously, "Will you marry me, Rainzzi?"_

_She stared at him unbelievingly and blinked a few times, trying to __suppress__ the joyful tears. A faint smile made its way to her cheek which was flushing with emotions. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. She looked down at her hands in embarrassment. And then__…__she leaned forward and nodded against his chest._

_With a swoop of delight, he enveloped her tightly, the smile of felicity never leaving his face. "Thanks. I love you, Rainzzi Delanuit," he whispered tentatively against her ear._

_"I love you, too," she giggled happily, before brushing her lips against his._

* * *

Sirius shut his eyes forcefully. He could not bear to review his life anymore, watching his cheerful early life made him feel frustrated. The happiness was exactly what he deserved, but what now? He had to die when light had finally come at the end of the tunnel. He should be cleared of all accuses and freed, instead of falling through the damn veil.

Abruptly, a determined voice materialised and forbade him to fall. The voice was telling him Sirius Black would never resign to fate and it generated a wave of faith in him, as if a blaze of hope was lit somewhere deep in his heart.

He grabbed hold of the collars of Bellatrix's robes. His grin was as wide as hers as he tightened his grip on her. For a moment, it seemed as though Sirius was just trying to pull her together to the coffin. But predominance was turned dramatically when he shifted over their positions and released her at the last second.

Bellatrix was the one falling now.

Her body curved in a graceful arc as she sank backward. What was left on her young face was nothing other than mingled fear and hatred when she fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered as though in a high wind, then fell back into place.

Sirius descended on the floor instead. Panting slightly, he glared at the no longer existing figure and hastily stood up again. Remus was restraining Harry from running towards him; Sirius stopped Harry with a look of disapproval. "Stay where you are, Harry!"

He skimmed the room for the first time after Dumbledore's arrival. Ten or so Death Eaters were tied up in the middle of the room with invisible strings. In the heart of the small crowd, he could see Rodolphus Lestrange shouting soundlessly at him.

Standing no farer than fifteen feet from Sirius, Dumbledore was glaring heavenward, as though at something the others couldn't see.

When he snapped out meditation, his blue eyes were twinkling with a righteous glint. "Remus, Alastor, kindly help me retrieve the kids and escort them back to Hogwarts by a Portkey. Stay with them until I come back. Sirius, Tonks, Kingsley, station here and keep an eye on the Death Eaters while I meet Voldemort up at the entrance."

"We'll come with you," said Sirius and Kingsley in unison.

However, Dumbledore shook his head sternly, "It will be a battle between me and Voldemort personally."

"Please follow my instructions," he said, before he Disapparated.

Sirius pulled Tonks back on feet when Kingsley helped the plump boy do the counter-curse. Moody put his magical eye back to its socket and rubbed his arms with a frown. "You okay, Potter?"

Harry nodded. "Lead the way to the other kids," said Moody gruffly.

"But I want to stay." Harry looked at his godfather for support, which didn't come.

"Just do what you are told," Sirius snapped harshly.

"I won't be hindering anything here!"

Sirius looked stern. "Look Harry, Ron and Hermione are still lying somewhere! Are you going to stay here and ignore them? Just lead Remus and Moody to find the others and go back to Hogwarts right this instant!"

Harry glared at him. Sirius felt a twinge of guilt as he remembered the reason Harry was lured here. "Harry, you don't need to worry about me," he added in a softer tone, "Just be careful, there maybe some of them on the loose." He nudged one of the Death Eaters with his toes.

After one last sullen glance at Sirius, Harry left the room with the over-fed boy, closely followed by Remus and Moody.

Sirius, Tonks and Kingsley pointed their wands at the Death Eaters who were still struggling unsuccessfully in silence.

Time seemed to be passing a hundred times slower when Dumbledore fought against Voldemort single-handedly. Although they weren't really worried about Dumbledore's safe-being, they couldn't help tensing fretfully. For every minute they had to wait for Dumbledore, it meant that Voldemort was still surviving.

They all turned to the door expectantly when the sound of rushing footsteps appeared, but it was not Dumbledore who walked in. It was Dawlish and Williamson instead.

They kicked open the door and burst in, looking haughtily at the little crowd in the middle. Seeing the Death Eaters were all tied up securely in the strings, they glanced around at the standing figures.

"What the -?" Dawlish gawked and nudged Williamson, pointing at Sirius. "Sirius Black!"

He raised his wand at Sirius, but Sirius was too fast in his defense, "_Expelliarmus_" Dawlish was knocked off his feet; he landed hard on the stone floor and slid until his head collided with solid wall.

Williamson leapt towards Sirius immediately, but Tonks and Kingsley had seized him firmly under his arms. "Let go! What're you doing here, Tonks, Kingsley?" he gasped in bewilderment.

"They are on my order here," said a booming authoritative voice. Albus Dumbledore finally returned. However, he wasn't the only one walking in. Cornelius Fudge ensued, and there were a few more serene-looking people, all of whom holding their wand steadily.

"Tonks and Shacklebolt belong to the Auror Department under the Ministry of Magic. You don't have the authority to order them anywhere, Dumbledore!" Fudge protested indignantly.

"They have the freedom to do anything they want in their leisure hours, Cornelius," replied Dumbledore coldly. Fudge glared him a bit, but he was unable to meet his stare directly.

"Minister!" Dawlish puffed on the floor, massaging his head angrily. "Sirius Black is here, Minister!"

Fudge turned where he was pointing and took notice of Sirius for the first time. There was a flabbergasted speechlessness during which he seemed to have lost the ability to speak. He pointed a finger at Sirius shakily.

Sirius nodded nonchalantly.

"Tie him up!" Fudge bellowed at the accompanying Aurors.

"He is not to be tied up. Cornelius, he's on our side," said Dumbledore calmly. The Aurors hesitated in their tracks; they looked forth and back from Dumbledore to the Minister for Magic uncomfortably.

"Dumbledore, there's something you haven't explained to me! Sirius Black, honestly, of all people, convicted murder of twelve Muggles and a wizard, is on our side?" Fudge glowered at Dumbledore, visibly scandalised.

"He didn't kill anyone. He wasn't the secret keeper of Lily and James Potter. He's innocent."

"Very logical indeed! You provided evidence fourteen years ago! You yourself claimed that he was the secret keeper, Dumbledore!"

"Cornelius, I can guarantee with my life that Sirius Black is on our side."

Fudge looked at Dumbledore skeptically but he dared not challenge him, "He has to be held for a bit interrogation."

Dumbledore looked at Sirius, who shrugged nonchalantly.

"That is of course up to you, but this is of no immediate importance. We are to inform the public of Voldemort's resurrection as soon as possible first," said Dumbledore, with a tone of supremacy.

Fudge watched the Death Eaters silently with knitted brows; his distaste seemed to be most pronounced when he found Lucius Malfoy among the arrested. "Lucius?"

"I think I've elaborated to you clear enough just a while ago, Fudge. They were caught here on a mission ordered by Voldemort. I've reiterated the fact he has come back again and again throughout the year, but you have refused to believe it, saying there's no proof. You saw Voldemort up at the entrance, I'd rather think that's _enough _of a proof," said Dumbledore, staring at the Minister for Magic through his half-moon spectacles.

Fudge blushed bright red. He turned his back to Dumbledore and faced the Aurors. "Williamson, arrange for me a thorough interrogation for Sirius Black. Rainzzi, lock him up in a top-security suspect room and closely guard him day and night until he got the retrial. The rest of you, send the Death Eaters straight to Azkaban and stay guarding them until further notice," he ordered with the last prestige he could master.

"Not you two, Tonks, Shacklebolt. Kindly enjoy doing what you want to in your leisure hours!" he added furiously to Tonks and Kingsley who let go of Williamson and progressed to help their colleagues.

Sirius froze. For a long while his mind was as blank as it could be. Had he really heard what he thought he had? Or it's just an aftereffect of his earlier reminisce of her?

_Rainzzi_

It wasn't until a few seconds later that his brain clicked into gear again.

Both Dumbledore and Fudge were no longer in sight. There was a blast of actions in the Death Room when the Aurors carried out their duties. A dark-haired witch in her early thirties approached and gently took away Sirius' wand. She conjured up a handcuff and chained it to his wrists.

"This way please, _Mr. Black_," said the Auror politely, but her scrutinising stare didn't quite match her civility. It was almost with contempt.

"_Rainzzi_." Sirius touched her hand but she swiftly withdrew and stared at him suspiciously with furrowed brows.

Despite the fact that Rainzzi Delanuit, Sirius' fiancée looked just as she used to, she didn't seem to recognise him at all.

* * *

_A/N: __Please review and tell me how you'd like the story to go ;) Your wish is my command._


	2. Chapter 2

––––––––––––––––––––**  
****Chapter 2 - The Fiancée****  
**––––––––––––––––––––

Sirius sat back in his chair in the top suspect room, crossing his arms in front of his chest firmly to stop himself from doing anything rash. He still hadn't overcome the shock; he needed some time to think thoroughly. But he couldn't tear his eyes off her.

Hugging her arms protectively, Rainzzi Delanuit stood in front of the window gazing up and paid no attention to the interrogation taking place behind her. She seemed to be very interested in the night sky. But as far as Sirius could see, it wasn't a particularly attractive night; the sky was merely a dull, dusty black. Sirius had got the impression that she just doing it to occupy her thoughts and delay the moment when she had to lay eyes on him again.

Although the chamber was completely breezeless, her silky hair was budging smoothly as though in its accord. Sirius' eyes carefully travelled from the delicate jawline to every part of her face, it was a miracle how everything on it could be so exquisite. A mixture of ocean blue and turquoise, her eyes stood out remarkably from her creamy complexion. He had almost forgotten how gorgeous her eyes looked. _Almost._

With a start, Rainzzi eventually became conscious of the pair of laden eyes staring at her on the window's reflection. She shifted uncomfortably but Sirius' eyes followed her. With a hint of annoyance visible between her furrowed brows, she looked back for a moment and their eyes met. All at once, a flood of mingled affection and longing threatened Sirius with suffocation. But a second later, Rainzzi reached out to open the window.

* * *

_He could still remember promising her that he would never make her cry ever again when he slipped the sapphire ring on her slender finger, while he had surreptitiously thought it impossible. What he didn't expect was that her tears of anguish and desperation about him would come so soon. _

_It was in Azkaban when she cried for the first time after the promise had been made._

_"Sirius…" she kept whispering in between sobs. "Please, tell me it wasn't what they told me." But he was sitting on the floor at a corner, staring fixedly out of the window at the dust. He couldn't look at her in the face. It would be irresponsible…when he didn't have a damn future. _

_Exhausted by crying and beginning to suffer under the Dementors' __influence__, she backed against the wall and slid down onto the floor. "Sirius…" she said again, staring at him as if he was the only thing in the world. "Can you look at me?"_

_Sirius was way too interested at the sky to tear his eyes away from it._

_She approached his side on bended knees; she didn't even have the strength to stand up on her own and live through the disaster. How could he burden her with yet more unsolvable paradox?_

_"Please, Sirius, look at me," she pleaded, bringing her face so close but yet not touching him. She shook him vigorously and rocked him forth and back but still she got nothing in response. "Please, Sirius." Overwhelmed with agitation, she finally lost her nerves. She slapped him across the cheek and hit him like mad. His face bruising, Sirius didn't falter from his determination._

_Upon the noise of the hitting and slapping, the jailor rushed over to them in alarm. "Miss Delanuit, keep your calm now!"_

_Rainzzi__ bumped back on the floor in frustration and swallowed hard, fighting back a huge sob. She grabbed his left hand, the middle finger of which bore a silver ring __identical to the one __she was wearing. "Sirius, we're engaged. No matter what happened, nothing could change this fact unless you don't love me anymore."_

* * *

"Black, are you 100 percent sure that you had seen Peter Pettigrew in his human form 2 years ago in the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade?" the investigator was asking in the background, enunciating the words _100 percent_ like there was a chance that the Peter Sirius claimed to have seen was just an illusion.

Sirius threw his arm up in exasperation, "I _told_ you! I've told you again and again for like –"

"Kurt," Rainzzi chimed in peacefully, without turning to them, "I think we can get this finished with much earlier if you could stop asking for unnecessary vindication."

"Sorry, I just forgot this has been asked before," Kurt apologised. But everyone in their right sense could see it was not true, since the investigator had been bombarding Sirius with negligible questions repeatedly ever since the interrogation began some hours ago, as if eager to catch Sirius offhanded. He picked up the clipboard and examined the content with a thoughtful frown, evidently still trying to seek possible loopholes. He thumped it back on the table when he failed to find any.

"Miss Delanuit? I think that's it," Kurt said at last.

"Let _the suspect_ sign it if he has no objection to the content," Rainzzi whirled around and talked to him directly, it was like Sirius had turned invisible.

Kurt nodded politely; he was clearly very junior to Rainzzi. The despising look returned as he turned to Sirius, "If there's nothing you wish to be amended in the statement, Black, sign it."

Too contemptuous to spare any second to glimpse through the document, Sirius signed the document and thrust the quill and statement back down on the table violently.

"Miss Delanuit, it's your turn to sign."

Rainzzi took a seat finally; she scribbled besides Sirius' signature and shoved the parchment back to Kurt. "Make one more copy and send them separately to Madam Bones and Fudge."

"What about Dumbledore? He has just been reinstated as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot."

"One more copy for Dumbledore, then," Rainzzi forced a smile, "Thank you, Kurt."

Kurt nodded and left the room to send out the statements.

Rainzzi didn't return to her former position as Sirius expected. Instead she remained seated, glancing down at her lap lazily and did a performance of smoothing some wrinkles of her robes. Sirius' existence was totally ignored.

He stared at her longingly, opening and closing his mouth for several times. He was desperate to talk to her, but she apparently didn't want to as she was still determinedly evading his glance. They sat in an excruciating silence for a few minutes.

Sirius waited until she could find no more wrinkle to occupy her attention before he took the initiative to break the ice. "So…" For a moment he thought she didn't hear him. But she jerked up her head gradually with an unreadable expression.

"So," echoed Rainzzi uncomfortably, digging her hands into the pockets and staring at a spot beyond Sirius. "We finally meet, Mr. Black."

Sirius frowned at the title and nodded hesitantly, "I missed you."

"Uh-huh," she shrugged coldly, "But I don't reckon I can even recognise you if not for the photos."

"Do you really…not remember me at all?" said Sirius, his face darkening with dread.

Rainzzi sat back and shook her head casually with a little smile, as if answering a question which she was unconcerned about.

"But I bet no one mentions me in front of you?" asked Sirius miserably.

"No one but Remus," said Rainzzi, chewing her lower lip and stared at her lap again. "Then again I ask him not to; the knowledge of our engagement has been far depressing enough."

Sirius stared at her, a muscle under his left eye flinching slightly. "So you know I'm your fiancé then?"

"I know you're my fiancé," she paused, calming down with resolution. "But I don't know you. I can't remember you. I just know you're Sirius Black, a convicted murderer of thirteen people and second-commander of the Death Eaters. An Auror that sold his best friends to You-know-who and godfather of The-Boy-Who-Lived. That's _all_ I know about you."

Sirius stared at her, he should have known, she didn't know the truth, she must be apt to believe everything the others said about him. "I think you should know by now," he said heavily, "I neither murdered that thirteen people nor did I betray Lily and James. Don't you believe what I said to your fellow?"

"Supposing I believe what you said, that only proves I know even less about you than I thought," Rainzzi said coolly with a repressed-to-be-constant volume.

"Rainzzi…" Sirius leaned forward leadenly. "Remus told me what happened after I was arrested."

"Great," Rainzzi said in mock delight, "Then I think you should understand why I wish you never existed."

"I won't blame you for that," said Sirius quietly, tearing his eyes off her for the first time.

"Blame me?" Rainzzi swallowed and magnified her eyes incredulously, "If you've ever thought of blaming me, I think you haven't got the whole picture of what's happened." She half banged her fists on the table and stood up, towering over him.

"You've got me wrong. Of course I have never thought of blaming you for anything," said Sirius immediately. He followed suit, standing up, and intended to place a hand on her arm which he missed it.

Rainzzi shot him a dirty look before glaring down at the table. She suddenly had a mad desire to vent out a decade and a half's worth of frustration. "I didn't know how we were like before you were arrested. All I know is that right after you were sentenced to a life-time imprisonment in Azkaban, Mr. Black, the Lestranges came and ambushed me, just like what they had done to the Longbottoms. They forced me to tell them where You-know-who was, which I had absolutely no idea. When I failed to give them a satisfactory answer, they tried to take the matters into their own hands. They extracted the memory from me; I was left there with nothing but a cell!"

Of course, Sirius knew what had happened to her, that's why he never contacted her after he had escaped. But hearing it directly from her seemed much worse than he could bear. For every word she breathed out, Sirius was getting a pound weightier at the heart.

"Having my memory modified by the Lestranges I swore to revenge. I wanted to make them pay, that's why I immediately joined the Auror training. But it took a year or so of consideration before they let me into the Auror Department, although I passed all the tests with distinction. And even though I worked harder than anyone, I was always rewarded with nothing but doubt and forever regarded as a second-class one. If not for the family name, I would have never been promoted as a Senior Auror. But that's fine! That should have been fine if only you consented to stay still in your goddamn prison!

"Three years ago when you broke out from Azkaban, I was temporarily suspended and they interrogated me for God knew how many times. They asked me all sorts of questions. Where would Sirius Black be most likely hiding at; what weapons had Sirius Black got from the dark lord that made his escape possible, did Sirius Black plan to help the Dark Lord to resurrect; they interrogated me like a criminal about YOU. Do you know how humiliating that was? I am a fellow Auror for crying out loud! Why should they question me about a man that I could hardly remember? They said it's because I'm your fiancée." Sirius saw that the hands that she used to support herself from the table were trembling furiously.

"I was relegated into a few departments as a junior staff in the two years that followed. Some of them even suggested stationing a Dementor right in front of my house. Nominally it's for my own sake, it's for my protection. But who didn't know they just wanted to keep an eye on me and catch you if you chanced to find me?

"It was not until Barty Crouch Sr. died that I was finally recalled for from the Department of International Magical Co-operation. When news of you helping the criminals break out from Azkaban hit the headline, they didn't think of degrading me, but I have to endure all those gossips and rumours my colleagues spread behind my back!" She finally glared up at him, with one hand clutching the robes in front of her chest, gasping for air.

"It's all because of you! Every time you did something, I was inevitably brought under the limelight too. I appear as a permanently unreliable figure, even though I have done more than any other Auror to catch as much Death Eaters as I can. And you know what? When I did my job too brightly for the Department, they thought I was over-enthusiastic, they suspected that I had hidden motives! I was excluded from every important project, let alone the confidential ones."

"It's all because of you! Sirius Black, do you know how much I hate you? I hope you'd just disappear!" Rainzzi shouted, finally losing control over her emotions. Her voice echoed in the small room.

Sirius' knees went weak and he descended to the chair powerlessly. It seemed that she wasn't the only one being ignorant, he had been ignorant too. He had been completely unaware of the many mishaps that occurred to her; since Remus had left out too many details in his account.

All the while he thought he was the one who suffered the most; he did not realise Rainzzi was suffering as much. He had first learnt that her memory was modified when the Lestranges came to Azkaban. Having been affected by the Dementors slightly, he had pessimistically come to the conclusion that it was perhaps advantageous for her to not remember anything about him.

And now it was the foremost time he discovered how naïve he had been, to think that it was for the better. Surely she wouldn't have been better off if she remembered him, as he knew it himself that a haunting memory could do tremendous harm. However, if she remembered him and all those time they had spent together, she would have known what she was being treated so unfairly for, and she would at least recognise him now.

Glaring at Sirius with every ounce of hatred, Rainzzi bumped down on her chair too. Her cheek was red with fury and she was on the checked brink of tears. And then she looked away in embarrassment and hid her face behind her hands, still trembling involuntarily.

Rainzzi cursed herself inwardly. She hated herself for being so agitated. She had never let loose of her temper like that before. Even when her senior told her she was to be transferred to the Wizarding Education Department, her response was just a careless "OK." But she really couldn't restrain herself from bursting out the discontentment that she had kept to herself in the past fifteen years.

She almost felt thwarted and infuriated. In the previous three years, she had been hoping against hope to catch Sirius Black personally, to prove to the wizarding community that she had not been in contact with him. To prove to the world that she was not linked with him. She wanted to officially void their engagement; she wanted to get rid of everything that's related to him. However, her dream was shattered now.

She knew her dream was shattered the instant when Dumbledore remained calm at Sirius' existence in the Death Room. She just knew Sirius Black would walk out of the Ministry undisturbed and free.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes. It was difficult to tell who's more laden.

"Rainzzi," Sirius murmured at last, in a consoling voice. "Hands on heart, I am just as sympathetic about all those years as you're." Seeing her tears threaten to roll down, he wanted nothing more than to hug her, like the million times he had.

Rainzzi gave a sigh, and then said mildly, "Perhaps you are." She swept her bloodshot eyes briefly with the sleeves before she stared ahead at the spot beyond Sirius again.

"_Rainzzi__…_" Sirius began, his hand gesturing to hers, but he was cut short by a soft knock on the door. Rainzzi quickly leaned back and composed her face, wearing an expression of nonchalance and boredom. Sirius leaned back too, but he couldn't tear his eyes off her.

Williamson walked into the room with a pile of official-looking parchments in his arms, looking from Rainzzi to Sirius with amusement.

"Yeah?" Rainzzi looked up expectantly.

"Percy Weasley has a message for you from the Minister."

"What is it?"

"No idea," Williamson shrugged, "He's waiting for you outside. I'll stay here until you come back." He sat down on the chair once occupied by Kurt.

Rainzzi gave the older Auror a respectful nod before she strode towards the door. She drew a surreptitious breath to compose herself before she stepped into the dark corridor.

"Yes, Weasley," she said, assuming an air of superiority.

"Miss Delanuit, the Minister wants you in his office right now," said Percy Weasley, flinging out his hand and gesturing to lead the way.

"Has a retrial been arranged for Sirius Black yet?" asked Rainzzi conversationally.

Percy gave her a hard look, "The Minister is not planning to hold a public retrial for Black."

"Nice move," commented Rainzzi absent-mindedly. "He won't want to draw the public's attention to a nonsensical imprisonment, will he?"

"Miss Delanuit," Percy said sternly, "I think you are of not a position to criticise the Minister's policies."

"Neither are you to criticise the comment of a superior," said Rainzzi coldly, raising her eyebrows. She gave him a daring look as they entered the lift, pressing the button down. To be truthful, she had never quite liked Percy Weasley; he was famous as a brownnoser when he worked under Barty Crouch. And after his promotion as Junior Secretary to the Minister, he had turned even more so.

Rainzzi watched it nonchalantly as Percy flushed with embarrassment. And then all of a sudden, he met her glance with his own ratty one. "It's funny, isn't it? What Black claims," Percy said carefully, "It's totally ridiculous."

"I don't find it so."

He looked thoughtful for a while, "Did Black mention any of his old friends?"

Rainzzi scrutinized him with a suspicious look, "I am afraid the exact content in his statement is one very confidential and not to be discussed."

"Oh, right. Here we're," he said disappointedly as they walked out of the lift. He knocked on the door of the Minister's Office and said loudly, "Mr. Fudge, Rainzzi Delanuit is here."

"Come in," came Fudge's exhausted voice.

Percy held the door open to Rainzzi and receded to stay in the back after closing the door.

To her surprise, Albus Dumbledore was seated in front of the marble table across Cornelius Fudge, each holding a statement Kurt had just sent them. Dumbledore turned and raised his lids in acknowledgement.

"Ah, Rainzzi," Fudge began distractedly, rubbing his cheek roughly. "You were supervising when this Kurt guy took Black's statement, right?"

"I was, Minister," said Rainzzi with courtesy.

"Did you check the Secrecy Sensor before the interrogation began?"

"Yes, I –"

"And it didn't vibrate during the whole thing?" Fudge prompted eagerly, "Not even once?"

"It didn't," said Rainzzi seriously.

Fudge rubbed his cheek more roughly. He stood up and walked back and forth behind his table, grasping the parchment murderously like he wanted to tear it into million pieces and mumbling to himself in frustration.

Suddenly, as though a virtual light bulb was lit up, his face brightened up and addressed Dumbledore directly. "But there's no denying he had brought about the death of Bellatrix Lestrange by forcing her through the veil."

"That was a course of defence, Cornelius," Dumbledore replied calmly. "I witnessed it; Bellatrix Lestrange was attacking Sirius Black. They struggled for a moment and then Bellatrix fell through the veil. It was hardly Sirius' fault I must say. According to the International Wizarding Law article 724 clause B, it says a –"

"Spare me with the law, Dumbledore," Fudge interrupted with a note of irritation in his tone, the ancient man shrugged. He bumped back down on his leather chair and drew an involuntary breath, looking defeat. "Weasley, give a _very _brief account of the investigation, draft a declaration of Black's release on my behalf and send it to the Daily Prophet."

He turned to face Rainzzi and forced a fatherly smile, "Rainzzi, you can have a night off early; it's been a dreadful day. I would have Williamson taken care of Black's case."

She nodded quietly, and was about to walk out of the office when Dumbledore's voice stopped her.

"Cornelius, I must return to Hogwarts right now," said Dumbledore, looking at his wrist watch. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." Fudge looked all too pleased to see him gone.

Dumbledore turned to Rainzzi, and although it was gone as fast as it had come, she thought she had caught a glimpse of suggestiveness in the old man's eyes. "Miss Delanuit, could you offer me the pleasure of seeing me to the entrance?"

* * *

_A/N: Hey, what do you think of it? I revised it just now. X)_


	3. Chapter 3

–––––––––––––––––––––––**  
****Chapter 3 - Rainzzi Returns****  
**–––––––––––––––––––––––

"Finally, Sirius!" said Arthur Weasley as he patted Sirius slightly on the shoulder, "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Sirius forced a smile to his lips, masking the irritation of being wrecked out of his silent muses. The atmosphere in Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London that night was exceptionally cheerful and hysterical, as various Order members had purposefully dropped in earlier to congratulate Sirius for his official release.

But Sirius was feeling slightly uneasy in the chamber with such a large company. He knew he should be feeling thankful for them, he knew he should feel happy for his release, but he simply couldn't spare any time to. A portion of him wanted to drive people away with excuses, but another was telling him he probably needed the distraction to keep him sane. People were right when they said memory kills.

When he brought the goblet to his lips, the abstract pair of blue eyes was back in his mind. It was the millionth time he had thought about them. He used to be dreamy and overwhelmed with lust and longing when he did. But after meeting her again, he couldn't help grieving whenever he thought about it. The beautiful eyes that used to be filled with admiration and affection at the sight of him were now of hatred and despise.

"Stop messing around, Fred and George. And get down on this instant!" Molly shouted with her hands on her hips. "People are arriving! The meeting is going to begin!" she said, just when Tonks and Kingsley walked in … and they were not the only ones.

It was only a few seconds before Rainzzi was led into the kitchen. His eyes widening, Sirius couldn't believe what he saw.

Sirius watched in bewilderment as Rainzzi walked further in. His heart racing, he looked around the people in the kitchen too see how they took her unexpected appearance, as though trying to confirm that he really saw what he _thought _he saw. Remus, who was sitting beside him, was also looking at Rainzzi, and he nodded slightly as though in verification when their eyes met.

Sirius stared at Rainzzi again, still having difficulty believing what he saw. Rainzzi was irreproachably dressed, simple and in a style of her own. And she was wearing a pair of rimless glasses which went well with the cold expression of her face. She looked around the kitchen and at the people sitting inside nonchalantly. And a realisation suddenly struck him - it could only mean one thing for Rainzzi to appear in the Headquarters – she had rejoined the Order of the Phoenix.

Sirius' eyes were glued to her as she followed Tonks around, who had volunteered to take up the task of introducing her to the other Order members. With her current occupation and reconciliation with her Pro-Ministry family, Sirius hadn't expected her to rejoin the Order, at least not this soon. He stared at her mutely for a long moment, but as the astonishment eventually faded away, he could feel his mood lifted considerably. Now that they were both members of the Order again, it was quite rational to assume they would see more of each other from then on.

"This is Hestia Jones," Tonks was saying, indicating to the pink-cheeked, dark-haired witch, while Rainzzi nodded and shook hands with her, "And this is Mundungus Fletcher."

"What a pleasant surprise!" exclaimed Mundungus, "It's been so long since we last met." To Rainzzi's dismay, he reached out to clasp both her hands, but she managed to slide off between his fingers.

Now Tonks and Rainzzi were proceeding to the farer side of the kitchen slowly – exactly where Sirius and Remus sat. When Rainzzi greeted Molly a few meters away, Sirius could already feel the pressure began to transpire. Given her hostile deportment against him just one day ago, Sirius didn't know what to expect though it was clear that they were brought together again by the Order.

Sirius took a sip of Butterbeer calmly before he glanced up. Determinedly avoiding his gaze, he could see a flicker of familiarity crossing Rainzzi's face as she looked at Remus.

"Alright there, Lupin?" Her words were dispassionate and she was holding her head high, but a warm smile was lurking near her lips.

Remus nodded, smiling mildly. "Better than ever."

Rainzzi squinted at him for another moment before she turned to Sirius. Tonks hesitated beside them. As if they were both ushered on-stage, all the eyes in the room were now travelling from her to Sirius and back with interest, which evidently annoyed Rainzzi to some extent.

But before he could offer his hand, the storm of footsteps echoing to the corridor outside the kitchen had diverted everyone's attention.

"Dumbledore's here," Molly informed them, walking into the kitchen. Sirius almost cursed under his breath.

The ones who had long arrived walked around the table and took a seat while Dumbledore walked in after Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, and Emmeline Vance. Save Snape, they all beamed happily at Sirius and mouthed their felicitations.

One by one they sat down quickly on the vacant seats around the long table. Rainzzi settled besides Tonks while Sirius sat back down on his chair on the other side. It had been a long time since they last had a formal meeting. "Before we begin our meeting tonight," Dumbledore announced with a gentle smile, "I have some good news to break to you, which is besides the fact that Sirius has been officially released and we have successfully thwarted Voldemort's grand plan."

"Aside from Fred and George, we will be joined shortly by another new blood," Dumbledore smiled at the twins who had put their noses up in the air and extended their chests proudly. "I think most of you should still remember her, for she had been an active member of the old Order. I am sure you have all been reacquainted with her by now. But please allow me, to introduce her properly – Rainzzi Delanuit."

The newly arrived members nodded faintly at Rainzzi who politely returned the nods.

"I came to Rainzzi yesterday after the incident, explained to her the situation and she has kindly agreed to rejoin the Order," Dumbledore explained and smiled appreciatively at Rainzzi, "As you should all know, she's one of the Senior Aurors alongside Kingsley. And she is also very close to Fudge due to the tie of their families. I believe she will be a very valuable asset to the Order."

Sirius squinted sideward, Rainzzi was just two seats along from him and he simply couldn't tear his eyes off her.

"Let's begin the meeting, shall we?" Dumbledore announced finally. "First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for the splendid success of the battle at the Department of Mysteries. The efficiency was unbelievable. Now, on a cautious note, we must keep an eye on any oddities. Severus, any news of Voldemort's new plots?"

"Nope," Snape shook his head, "Since their plan didn't go exactly as they had wished. With the Prophecy destroyed, Potter saved and most of the elites among them thrown in Azkaban, they were in a state of pure chaos. Black's murder of Bellatrix Lestrange had just further troubled them." His black eyes behind the curtain of greasy hair travelled to Sirius and promptly turned into a glare. "Presumably it will take them some time to reorganise their camp."

Sirius glared back coolly with equivalent hatred.

"But now that the Dark Lord's return is confirmed by the Ministry, I don't reckon they will still be obliged to act secretly," Snape continued. "We could expect some attacks in the near future."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "Try to acquaint with Narcissa Malfoy, Severus. I think she knows as much as her husband does," he instructed.

Sirius was staring at Rainzzi the whole time while Dumbledore talked, the details escaping him, and for a few times, he caught her eyes, but she turned away quickly every time. How strange he felt, she was just sitting a few seats along, but at the same time she appeared as distant a figure as possible. They were like two strangers being unintentionally brought along by their friends to a big dinner. He wished he could talk with her without hesitation, but her earlier outburst had shown clearly that his acknowledgement was very much unwelcome. He could still remember her voice when she shouted, "_I hate you, Sirius Black_," into his face. He used to disregard that line because he knew she didn't really mean it, yet this one he could not forget, it was filled with so much loathing and resistance.

The meeting gone on a little longer until Sirius' attention was called for.

"Sirius, where's Kreacher?" Dumbledore questioned from across the table.

"He's with Buckbeak in the master room," said Remus before Sirius could open his mouth, forestalling him.

"What should we do to him, Dumbledore?" Moody asked hoarsely.

"We can't disown him, he knows too much," Dumbledore said, "But at the same time, we can't keep him here. It's proven to be too risky."

"So are you going to keep him locked up in the room forever?"

"I object this," Sirius commented quickly, startling most others. For someone who had just been betrayed by his house-elf, he sounded pretty calm. "I've had enough of that worthless thing. Let's get rid of it. I don't care if you behead him or something, just make sure he doesn't enter my view again."

"Sirius, I think Kreacher deserves to be respected. All the prejudice wizards and witches have held against their kind have stirred up many conflicts in the centuries, and thus strained our relationships with them. Perhaps it's about time for us to abandon our patronising treatment of them. Kreacher is a very typical and very miserable outcome of our abuses of his kind as he was bound by magic to serve a master that he doesn't particularly like. Perhaps the least we could do is to pay him some more attention," Dumbledore reminded Sirius, he looked at him sternly from his half-moon spectacles.

"But, with all due respect, Dumbledore, I certainly can't agree with you there. I hold no prejudice against the house-elves in general, you know that. Kreacher is just an exceptional case, he had indirectly lured Harry to the Department of Mysteries just yesterday, Harry could have been killed! Should I pay him more attention just so he will have more to sneak to Narcissa?" Sirius pouted sarcastically at the partiality Dumbledore had shown to the house-elf.

Dumbledore bypassed the question peacefully, his voice smooth as he spoke again. "But it's my wish that you transfer Kreacher's ownership to me. I will let him work at Hogwarts along with other house-elves."

"You can have him, whatever you like," Sirius flung his hand lazily and sat back on his chair. But his too shape a pair of eyes just wouldn't leave the ancient man alone.

Sensing the dangerous ambiance in the room, Emmeline decided to interject. "I've heard that Dolores Umbridge was hurt, how is she?" she inquired, more to change the subject than anything.

"She survived. She's still staying at the Hospital wing, and she's doing well," McGonagall said lightly, yet the shame in her voice was apparent. "We will schedule a transfer to the St. Mungo's for her tomorrow."

Dumbledore pressed his glasses up his crooked nose mischievously, as if trying to hide his grin, and resumed his seriousness. "Arthur, is there any news from Charlie with the vampires in Romania?"

"No," Arthur answered wearily, "Hasn't got any luck with the Prince yet but he's working hard for it."

Dumbledore nodded, "Kingsley, I want you to arrange a trial for Sturgis Podmore, we mustn't keep him in Azkaban for too long, especially now that it is filled with the Death Eaters again."

"I'll try to talk Williamson into it," Kingsley replied instantly.

"Bill, any progress with persuading the globins?"

"They are still bubbling about what Ludo Bagman did. But they seem to have taken a liking for Fleur, and she's doing hard to impress them," Bill answered, blushing unconsciously.

"Great," Dumbledore said, satisfied.

"So what about Harry?" Sirius interrupted momentously. Snape scowled quietly across him, as obviously he didn't consider the subject an important one that required their attention. "School is about come to an end. He is not staying at his Aunt and Uncle's for the summer again, is he?"

"I'm afraid he is," Dumbledore frowned, clearly he, too, didn't fancy seeing Harry back again with the Muggles. "At least for another month."

"But Harry couldn't live with them," Sirius objected, "We all know what Harry is like now. We're not talking about a child anymore, he's soon becoming sixteen. And if we keep him off again, he is bound to do something rash."

"This is, however, the safest option for Harry available. You should understand this, Sirius. He is protected by ancient magic as long as he lives with his blood relations. The protection provided by his Aunt is far greater than what the Order can provide him," Dumbledore stated clearly. "And for the time being, our main concern relies on Harry's safety."

Sirius hesitated. There's one idea that he had entertained a long time ago. It was exactly on the night when he and Remus had captured Peter that he had first suggested it to Harry. Even after he knew he had to escape yet again, he hadn't dismissed it. For two years, he had been thinking about it thoroughly, theoretically it should work. Sirius had been waiting for the appropriate moment to share his idea…except…it sounded crazy.

"Dumbledore, I have an idea," said Sirius slowly, weighing his words. "I don't know if it works or not, but perhaps… we can convince the Dursleys to move in with me while Harry lives with me."

Mundungus didn't even try to suppress his laughters, "Live with you? I've been spying on those Muggles. They wouldn't like it here."

"I'm not talking about this place here. I mean…I have a house of my own before I was arrested. Now that I am cleared of all charges, I guess I could reclaim the house whenever I like. The house is quite big and tidy; it has a Muggle neighbourhood. And Rainzzi has the one besides," Sirius trailed off, he glanced at Rainzzi who was wearing a very bored expression and didn't appear to have taken notice of the mention of her name. "The two houses are linked together by an underground tunnel because her parents didn't approve of us dating at that time. If we can successfully convince the Muggles to move into one of the house, Harry can live with me in the other. So he will be as safe as he is supposed to be since nominally he's still living with his blood relatives while he will stay under my guardianship."

Sirius looked around the room for support. The others were all chatting in low voices. "I think it does work," Dedalus said simply, most of the others nodded their agreements.

"That is of course, if Rainzzi consents to lend out her house," Sirius looked at Rainzzi again.

"In fact, Delanuit," said Snape before she could answer. Sirius had an ominous feeling against what he was about to say. "Do you _still_ remember you've a house linked to Black's?"

Sirius glowered at him, if Remus hadn't put an arm warningly on his, he might have as well cursed Snape under the table.

Rainzzi stared at Snape coldly, and to Sirius' delight, shook her head. "I know its existence, but I just haven't reclaimed it because I am living with my parents now."

"So if you agree…" Dumbledore began, Rainzzi nodded, "Then we will need someone to convince the Dursleys to move into the house." He looked around for volunteers, but most of the others flinched at the thought of making a visit to the Muggles.

"We'll do it, me and Remus," Sirius said quietly.

"We have met Lily's sister when we were young," said Remus.

"That's settled then. Don't forget to tell Harry, Sirius. I think Harry will be more than pleased to know the arrangement," Dumbledore inclined his head with a little smile. He paused and looked around the kitchen as though to better recapture their attention. "Before we wrap up the meeting, Rainzzi, I think you have something to share with us," Dumbledore leaned forward on the table with his fingers crossed and stared at Rainzzi with concentration.

Rainzzi nodded and cleared her throat slowly. She was rigid, almost haughty in her demeanour. There was a cold immobility and dignity in her face that Sirius could only recognise from their last, painful rendezvous, though he thought her exquisite in this new aspect.

"It's my guess that the Percy Weasley we are seeing is disguised."

Except for the gasps came from the Weasleys and the angry sound Sirius made, the room suddenly went very still. Time seemed to have been put to a stop when the members speechlessly exchanged shocked glances.

It was Molly who was the first to break the chilly silence. "He can't be!" she said agitatedly, color began to rise on her cheek. She looked more shocked than anyone else in the room, and she seemed to be viewing the news as an insult to her son's intelligence.

Arthur calmly put his arms around his wife's shoulder, "Is there any ground?"

"I am not the only one who thinks Percy Weasley's not acting in his accord."

"How do you know he's not acting in his accord?" Bill asked rationally. "You don't know him in person, do you?"

"I was working in the Department of International Magical Co-operation under Bartimus Crouch Sr. two years ago when Percy Weasley joined the ministry," Rainzzi glanced at Sirius for the first time on that night. "I knew him in profile because I worked with him for a whole year. Ambitious though he was, the Percy Weasley I knew was by no standard impudent. But the way he works is getting annoyingly ruthless. What with the rumours of Voldemort has resurrected and the oddities, I have been suspecting it all along. It now appears quite possible to me that he's one of the spies on the Ministry."

Molly started weeping silently but she was temporarily unable to speak.

"How can you be so sure about that?" Fred spoke for the first time.

"Fudge has sent him for me from the suspect's room yesterday," Rainzzi said and glanced around the table briefly, skillfully skipping Sirius, "He was acting oddly. One could almost say he looked furious. He was very keen to know the content of Black's statement, and he asked about whether Black mentioned any of his friends. He even tried to foil Black's creditability."

"So who do you think the disguiser may be?" asked Remus. Sirius suspected he already knew the answer.

"Peter Pettigrew, that's my guess," said Rainzzi. "I have heard Black's description of him. From the cowardice to the lust for protectiveness, they all fit. And they help explain Percy Weasley's strange behaviour."

"But that's still too arbitrary a guess," Arthur said firmly, he patted Molly lightly on her back.

"Arbitrary yet reasonable," Rainzzi retorted.

"I haven't heard of Pettigrew lately among the death eaters," Snape said abruptly.

"But Pettigrew couldn't possibly disguise as Percy, he doesn't know how Percy acts," Bill pointed out.

"You should know that he's an animagus. Peter had lived in disguise as a rat around Percy for almost five years, I think five years as Scabbers have provided him enough knowledge of his master's habits and behaviour," Remus related.

Molly sneezed and blew her nose with a tissue, "Poor Percy. Dumbledore, we need to find him as soon as possible."

"Don't worry, Molly. Percy shouldn't be in any immediate danger," Dumbledore consoled peacefully, "But it's important to find the real Percy as soon as possible. Or otherwise, not only Percy may be placed in danger, Voldemort will gain too much access to the Ministry and Fudge."

"Where do you think the real Percy is, Rainzzi?"

"In his apartment in London," Rainzzi answered quickly. "As far as I know, he keeps people away from it."

"I'll go find him!" Molly cried emotionally, she rose from her seat, but Arthur gently pushed her down again.

"I'm afraid Mrs. Weasley's sentiment will hinder the advancement," Rainzzi commented objectively. But Molly threw her a very dirty look.

Dumbledore coughed for attention, "But we must first make sure Percy is really in disguise. Rainzzi, I think I can count on you for this."

Rainzzi nodded, "I'll be working around Fudge for a while, and thus probably will spend a lot of time with Percy Weasley, too."

"To check his real identity, it would be useless to ask him something that the real Percy should know, as he may have learnt it from his staying in the Burrow. I think you should trick him into saying something only Peter knows," Dumbledore bade logically, "Remus and Sirius could help about that."

Remus smiled at Rainzzi and Sirius stared at her curtly.

"For any new discovery or any decision, I hope you will report to me first," Dumbledore requested, Rainzzi nodded again.

"If no one has anything to add, this will be the end of tonight's meeting," said Dumbledore finally. The duration of the meeting was much shorter than others, but clearly the Headmaster had other equally important issues to be taken care of at Hogwarts. He beamed at everyone in the kitchen before he Disapparated back to Hogsmeade with McGonagall and Snape.

Upon their departure, the chemistry of the room changed. Dilatorily, some other members left while some decided to stay behind for little chats. Sirius was grateful that Rainzzi had subdued a little talk with Kingsley and Tonks.

Sirius grabbed a glass of Butterbeer and walked over to them casually. "What're you talking about here?"

All three Aurors looked up in surprise. "We're discussing who we should approach to arrange a trial for Sturgis," Tonks was answering as Rainzzi lifted her arm as though obliviously to looked at her watch.

"I've to get going," said Rainzzi promptly to Kingsley and Tonks. "I'll see you tomorrow at work." Without so much as a nod to Sirius, Rainzzi had left with a crackling _'pop'_.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for reading and please review ;)_


	4. Chapter 4

**4. The Trip to ****4 Privet Drive**

* * *

_"You asked me out just because I am who I am!" Rainzzi reproached hotly, her face pale with anger._

_"What could I have done otherwise? It's James' idea to dare me ask you out," Sirius said wearily._

_Rainzzi__ stared at him distastefully for a moment, looking hurt and disappointed. She turned her back to Sirius and gestured to go away._

_"Rainzzi," Sirius jogged alongside her._

_"Have another task to complete?" Rainzzi asked with irritation._

_"Listen to me…"_

_"I've had enough!" Rainzzi attempted to swing away his hand, but given that Sirius had been a Quidditch player since his second year, she didn't have much luck succeeding. "Leave me alone, Black!"_

_"Just shut up and listen!" Sirius threw his arms around her from behind and clapped his hand on her mouth, but she still didn't stop bubbling. Sirius had to bellow to make himself heard, "Yes, the dare motivated me to ask you out. But I have set my eyes on you long ago before that truth or dare. I was going to date you anyway…what difference does it make then?"_

_Rainzzi__ licked his palm, making Sirius scowl and remove his hand from her. "I won't fall for this bullshit anymore, I'm off!" she said snappishly then swiftly strode towards the Hogwarts castle._

_"Hear me out! Stay where you are!" Sirius yelled at her back, "DELANUIT! Are you frightened? You're just afraid that I'll dump you later! That's why you're walking away! Hey! You diffident girl!"_

_Rainzzi__ stopped dead in her tracks to retreat and glared back at Sirius, "What did you say?"_

_"I said you're walking away just because you're scared that I'll later dump you!" Sirius said calmly and clearly, putting up a sickly arrogant face and crossing his arms in front of his chest. He knew clearly calling a Gryffindor coward was just as humiliating as telling a Slytherin he was not cunning enough._

_Rainzzi__ shoved him backward with her index finger furiously, "I'm not scared and are you implying that you think I'm scared to be dumped because I don't deserve you?"_

_"Why, yes! I'm a Quidditch star for God's sake. And you're just a bookworm that never dates. You must have been feeling insecure when you went out with me because you think other girls may steal me away in any minute. And that's exactly what you're feeling now, that's why you don't continue going out with me! You'll never take risk! I wonder why you're sorted into Gryffindor; it must have been the biggest mistake the sorting hat has ever made. You're…" Sirius' speech was interjected by Rainzzi's sudden action._

_She grabbed his red tie; pulled him closer then kissed Sirius fully on the lips, forbidding him to breathe normally. "So what about a Quidditch star?" she whispered with a blush when she finished, which is hard to tell whether it's for embarrassment or anger, and started to stride away again._

_"Are we back on course?" Sirius shouted, but she just waved him goodbye casually._

_He scowled at her back for a moment before he grabbed hold of her again, but this time violently. Turning her around, Sirius pinned her physically on the ground by the hands, making it impossible for her to move an inch._

_"GET OFF ME, BLACK!"_

_"Later," Sirius said, with a nonnegotiable tone, leaning down, "Miss Delanuit, did no one teach you how to behave? Well, as rule number one, you don't just kiss Sirius Black then go away like that…" _

_"What do I have to do before going away?" Rainzzi raised an eyebrow despite the indignation she was feeling previously, the amusement in her voice audible._

_"This." Sirius cupped her cheek in his hands and pressed his lips on her._

* * *

"Sirius."

Sirius stirred in his bed and further dug his head into the pillow, hoping the intruding voice would just go away.

"SIRIUS! WAKE UP!"

Sirius unwillingly lifted up one eyelid for a centimeter or so, but closed it immediately when he was dazzled by the blinding sunlight coming from the gap between the curtains.

"WAKE UP!" Remus lost his patience and practically yelled in his ear, shaking Sirius violently and pushed him down the bed when Sirius held onto the sheet firmly.

"Oops!" Sirius squeaked discontentedly. He sat up on the floor, kneading his head. "Can't you let me carry on with my dream?"

"No." Remus walked to the window and opened the curtains wide, despite the strong protest from Sirius. He stretched his arms and inhaled deeply. The weather couldn't be any better, the sky was as clear as the water in a lake and the complete absence of cloud was welcomed by the singing birds on the tree. A typical summer day it was.

"Have you been dreaming about Rainzzi again?" Remus asked abruptly. Sirius raised his brows.

"You were talking in your dreams," Remus told Sirius. They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment before Remus spoke again, glancing out of the window, "You know, I think you should do something. Dreaming about her in your privacy won't do anything."

"It is not like I don't want to do something, is it?" said Sirius distractedly, massaging his muscles. "But you saw how she acted around me. She doesn't remember me, and she avoids looking at me even when we happen to be in the same room. I can tell she doesn't want to be associated with me. What can I possibly do then?"

"Padfoot, don't be so short-sighted," said Remus slowly, still leaning on the window frame, "This is not something to rush through. It may be hard for you, but you have got to be patient."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at his wolfy friend and chose to disregard the comment, "Anyway, what did you wake me up for?"

Remus ran his hand in his dirty hair with a slight frown, "We need to go to Harry's aunt today."

Sirius banged his fists on his forehand for several times, "Ah yes. What's her name again? Patricia?"

"Petunia," Remus corrected him. "I think you should do something with your hair, you know, muggles love cleanliness."

"Then you shouldn't go with me," Sirius scowled at him and stumbled to the bathroom. He sprawled the cool tap water into his face and wiped it with a towel. "_Abbrevio_" Sirius pointed his wand at his hair, which automatically abbreviated until it was of normal length.

He looked into the mirror at his sullen reflection from a few angles, frowning. Prison had really done him something, the marks of the hellhole were still there. The scar on his soul hadn't really healed and he felt a deep humiliating sense of irretrievable loss. It was like a part of him was lost forever and he was thus incomplete. After staring coldly at his reflection again, Sirius walked out of the bathroom.

"Ready?" Remus asked, smoothing the front of his shabby clothes.

Sirius nodded, "Where does Harry's aunt live?"

"4, Privet Drive, Surrey."

"We're Apparating there, aren't we?"

"Yes, and remember what I advised you last night?" Remus said seriously.

"Stay calm and never lose my temper in front of Harry's aunt."

"So off we go."

They dematerialized at the same time, thinking about 4, Privet Drive with concentration, and soon appeared at the Privet Drive. Everything was so peaceful and ordinary that they looked almost unreal. There were two neat lines of two-storey houses on either side of the road, decorated with a few tall oak trees and low fences.

They looked at the brass number of the door nearest to them. "No. 8," it read.

Sirius signaled Remus with a perk of his head, he could still blurrily remember he had last had a glimpse of Harry in the muggle world just in the adjacent street. But things had been very different then. He smiled inwardly as he remembered how happy Harry had sounded in his last letter about the their plan. Sirius walked along the fences. 7. 6. 5. 4.

4, Privet Drive.

Remus followed Sirius and walked into the fences of 4, Privet Drive. They walked past the tidy front gardens and towards the wooden door. With still ten feet to go, they could already hear a nosy woman gossiping about something or other loudly. Peering from the window, they saw a thin and tall woman standing in the hallway, pressing her ear to the telephone.

Sirius nodded at Remus who then knocked on the door softly. The woman opened the door expectantly, as if expecting someone from the neigbhourhood would bring her news of the latest rumours of the movie stars. Her face fell when she saw the visitors. "It's just some sales agent," she said to the receiver disappointedly.

"Good morning, Petunia. We're coming here to discuss with you Harry's accommodation in the summer," Sirius said, absorbing the horse-like face and the contemptuous expression with indifference.

Petunia blocked the receiver's end carefully and hissed at the two strangers, "I don't welcome visitors of Harry's lot." She gestured to slam the door, but Remus hold strongly onto the rim.

"We've met before, Mrs. Dursley. I'm Remus Lupin. And he's Sirius Black," Remus pointed at Sirius.

Petunia's eye grew wide, she retreated into the house and put down the telephone. She stared at Sirius with alert and her nostrils flared with smoke when she reappeared in the doorway. "So you're the mass murderer!" she squeezed out in a shaky voice.

"He's Harry's godfather," Remus said before Sirius could say anything hindering.

"Give it up! I'm not going to let you in, you freak people!" Petunia hissed at them, barely parting her lips to speak. "Now, get out of my doorway before you attract attention." She looked around at the street outside, frightened.

Sirius revealed his wand a little bit from the inside pocket of his jacket. "You should understand that if you don't let us in, we the freak people would still manage to get in. Better allow us to get in before your neighbours discover an ex-criminal is visiting you, isn't it?" he said artfully, trying the mask the threat.

"We'll make it brief. And it'll be finished sooner if you let us in now," Remus said warmly, but he, too, had revealed out his wand. "We just want to discuss about Harry, we won't do any harm."

Petunia chewed her lips and measured their wands with fretfulness. She involuntarily opened the door wider to let her visitors in. Sirius and Remus chanted cheerfully, "Thanks."

Petunia closed the door quietly, "Whatever you want to say, be concise and brief. My husband is coming back from work in half an hour, and he won't fancy seeing the M people."

Sirius and Remus nodded, they walked through the kitchen and into the living room. There, on every shelves and tables, were the photographs of a large, blond boy riding his first bicycles, on a roundabout at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. They finally understood why Fred and George told them they were to expect a piggy faced bear. Around the whole room, there was no trace whatsoever of another boy that was supposed to be living there. Everything was awfully clean and in complete order, except the PlayStation that laid crashed in a far corner.

Sirius and Remus sat down on the sofa uninvitedly, "We'll make it concise and brief," said Remus.

"First of all, we're Lily and James Potter's best friends," Sirius introduced unnecessarily.

"I can remember you. You've once visited my parents' house," Petunia said bitterly.

"As we've told you, we're here to discuss about Harry. I bet you know that Voldemort has risen again, and…"

"Spare me the happenings of your world!" snapped Petunia angrily, she was closing every window and curtain in the living room.

Sirius ignored her and continued, "I'm sure that you are fully aware that an ancient magic was performed to protect Harry from Voldemort, so that he will be safe as long as he lives with his blood relative."

"I know that. That's why I let him live under my roof and I have looked after him for fifteen years. I can do no more for him! For the son of such a freak sister, I have done more than I ought to!" Petunia said harshly, sitting as far away as possible from them.

"He's Lily's son," Remus reminded.

"That's why I hate him. I hate Lily," said Petunia instantly.

"You don't hate Lily…" Sirius stated shortly.

"Oh no. I hate her, I hate her for what she was!" Petunia glared at him.

When Sirius wanted to whip it out, he had a smile that would make you believe in friendship. "Don't you think you hate Lily more for the fact that she ended up killed instead of merely being what she was?"

Petunia paused for a moment, she looked sideway at the painting on the wall. "What more can I do for Harry?"

Sirius and Remus exchanged a smile. "We want you to move to London and live with Harry and us there."

"What?" Petunia widened her eyes and stared at Remus as if he's a nut, but she soon recovered from the shock, comprehending that she should have expected it, as all the M people were nuts.

"We want you, your husband and your son move to London and live with Harry there," Remus repeated patiently.

"You're mad!" Petunia shook her head. "We're going to move to London anyway, but we won't live with an ex-criminal there."

"You're moving to London?"

"Yes," Petunia pursed her lips ungracefully, "My son Dudley has recently been placed in the Correctional Centre there. He has been accused of bullying in school and he needs to report to an indoctrinator of the centre everyday. So I and my husband have decided to move to London for convenience."

Sirius didn't feel sorry at all for the news, and he wasn't going to fake it. "Then you can come to live in my house there. I've two houses in London which are intra-linked by an underground tunnel. I'll let you live in one of them and Harry will live with me in the other. I promise if you agree to move in, I will guarantee you both freedom and privacy."

Petunia made a funny sound, despising, "No, we can afford a decent premise by ourselves. And we don't like to live near your kind."

"The houses are in a muggle town," Remus said, "I mean ordinary people's town. The town looks just like this."

"I still won't. Any linkage with you people is just outrageous!" Petunia glanced around the room and whispered, as if she was afraid some eavesdropper was hiding in her house and listening to their conversation.

"But think about it," Sirius said calmly, "It's not arranged only for Harry. It's for your family's safety, too. Didn't you learn something from the incident in last summer?"

"Dudley had been attacked!" Petunia's face darkened as the memory of his son coming back vomiting one night last summer rose up in her mind.

"Then you should have realized how dangerous that is, to live in a wizard-free area. And now that Voldemort has risen again with his eyes on Harry. Harry and your family are more in danger than ever," Remus explained.

"If Harry wasn't quick enough, your son could have been worse than dead."

"That's what I want to question you lot! That old man kept saying Harry would be safe as long as he lives with us and that Voldy thing couldn't approach Harry. And what the hell happened last summer?" Petunia roared at them.

"Harry's safe as long as he lives with you. By saying live, it in fact means stay. Harry isn't staying with you in every second. And if Voldemort chanced to come here and pick up on Harry when you or your son and Harry are not staying together, he could have hurt any of you as he desires…" Sirius said.

"But Dudley is Harry's blood relative, they were being together that night," Petunia shook her index finger ragingly. Sirius thought she looked like a mare being kicked at the ass.

"The thing that confronted them last summer wasn't Voldemort, it's the Dementors. They're not human beings, and thus not restricted by the charm," Remus interpreted with a little false shiver to indicate the destructiveness of the dementors.

"And that's exactly what makes it dangerous for you and your family to continue living in a muggle-inherited area. But if you move to London and live on the other side of us, you'll be protected, because we'll always be on guard."

Petunia didn't say anything. Sirius knew she was considering the offer in a dilemma.

"The house is a comfortable big one I can assure you."

"And we will try our best to protect you and your family from any potential harm."

A twist in the keyhole announced the return of Vernon Dursley, Petunia stood up hastily and hissed, "Go!"

"Please, think about our offer," Remus said quickly, pulling Sirius up from the sofa.

"We'll contact you later."

Petunia just nodded nervously and mouthed again, "Go! Just Go!"

Sirius and Remus did not need further prompting; they Disapparated into the road in front of the 4 Privet Drive. They looked at the door when the large man with little neck walked into the house and greeted his wife. Petunia closed the door as quickly as she could.

"Do you think she's convinced?" Remus asked quietly besides Sirius, scoffing at where Mr. Dursley had been standing.

"Bet so. I'm a good orator," Sirius said.

"Yea, you've got this emotional voice that touches every heart," Remus teased with a little smile.

"Not one particular woman though," Sirius shrugged obliviously, as Rainzzi's cold expression arose in his mind.

"Do you think we should go back to you and Rainzzi's houses and dust it over a bit," Remus said carefully, sensing the steely note behind Sirius' words.

"Just want I need the most, more reminisce of her. Let's go."

* * *

A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! o'v'o xxx


	5. Chapter 5

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––  
**Chapter 5 - Visiting the Longbottoms****  
**–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Since the Minister admitted the return of the most powerful Dark Lord, the Ministry was plainly a state of hustle and bustle. Officers were either busy handling the howlers that were sent by the Wizardry community or distributing the pamphlets which taught the people how to protect themselves. And thanks to that, no one who had passed the corridor had any time or reason to look twice at Rainzzi and Tonks who were standing there so nonchalantly.

Rainzzi leaned casually on the cool wall while she kept peering at the end of the corridor from the corners of her eyes. An insuppressible excitement was flipping in her stomach, any moment now the target might walk out of the room.

She straightened up when Percy Weasley opened one of the doors and walked out, oblivious to the fact that two aurors had been waiting for him outside at a fair distance.

After receiving the signal from Rainzzi, Tonks did quite a performance of fastening her jogs along the corridor, she lost her balance and knocked into Rainzzi when they drew near to the Undersecretary to the Minister.

Tonks fell onto the floor and the parchments flew into the air, blurring everything in the corridor when Rainzzi pretended to sway and deftly collided with Percy. Her left hand quickly dipped into his right pocket when they made contact.

"Sor…Sorry," Tonks muttered embarrassedly from the floor, massaging her arm.

Rainzzi steadied herself from Percy, "How much of a klutz are you?" she scolded.

"I'm really sorry!"

Percy cleared his throat loudly, reminding the couple of his presence. He eyed them with annoyance and dusted off the front of his robes, "Try to watch when you're walking, Tonks." He left after a courteous nod to Rainzzi, he obviously didn't have a hint of a clue.

"_Accio__ Parchment!_" Tonks pointed her wand on the parchments that scattered everywhere on the floor and said loud enough for Percy to hear, the parchments immediately flew into her outstretched hands. "Did you get it?" she added in an undertone.

"Of course," Rainzzi nodded with a conceited smirk, shaking in front of her the flask of brown-colored potion which she had just stolen from Percy Weasley.

…………………………

Rainzzi remained standing outside the laboratory door on which a 'Department of Medical Authentication' sign was hung and read the report intently. A grin appeared on her face when her eyes reached the bottom part of the report.

_The brown-colored potion concerned (which was brought to attention by Miss Rainzzi Delanuit on __27th June, 1996__) was proved to be a Polyjuice Potion. After a few professional experimenting stages in which comparisons to the DNA records from the Department of Magical Genetic Databank were made, the Polyjuice Potion was confirmed to have contained a hair of Mr. Percy Weasley's. _

She clapped her hands together, and almost cried out in joy. The 'Percy Weasley' was indeed, as she had speculated, being disguised, and with any luck, she might as well catch the spy of the Ministry, which meant she would perform yet another deed of merit. Another score for Rainzzi Delanuit, who had been rising in the Ministry alarmingly.

With an unexplainable sense of satisfaction, Rainzzi buried the report in her robes pocket and glanced around the St. Mungo's Hospital. She greeted one of the nurses that she was quite familiar with. Due to the recent busyness, she had not visited the Hospital as frequently as she used to. She looked down at her wristwatch, thirty minutes more before she needed to go, she decided to stay a bit longer.

She walked up the stairs to the Janus Thickey Ward located on the fourth floor.

…………………………

"His academic results aren't very outstanding, but other than that, Neville's doing fine at Hogwarts, he has got great friends," Mrs. Longbottom beamed at Sirius who turned up out of the blue to visit her son and daughter-in-law, "Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and the Weasleys, Neville often mentioned how great they're in the letters."

Sirius smiled in response. _Of course Harry is great, he's James and Lily's son,_ he thought.

Glancing at the framed picture of Alice and Frank on the headboard of the bed, the plump boy who had accompanied Harry in the Death Chamber suddenly seemed very familiar to Sirius. "Is Neville the boy who went to the Department of Mysteries with Harry and his friends last week?" Sirius asked. He and Mrs. Longbottom were sitting side by side in the long-tern resident ward. Alice was nowhere in sight while Frank just sat on his bed staring out of the window.

Mrs. Longbottom nodded, somehow proudly.

"I think I should say sorry then," Sirius said apologetically, "Harry was lured there because of me, and if any of the kids was hurt seriously, I'd be the first to blame."

Much to Sirius' surprise, Mrs. Longbottom shook her head. "I'm rather glad Neville had gone with them on that night. Although he might not have much contribution to the success of our side, at least he has proven for what he had been sorted into Gryffindor and he had shown the others he is a true descendant of the Longbottoms."

Sirius nodded. "He looks a lot like Alice," he said, looking at the picture again.

"That's why Alice seems to recognize Neville sometimes," Mrs. Longbottom said miserably, her eyes a little over-bright with the pitiable memory of her grandchild. "I know it must have been hard for Neville to have met the Lestranges in the Ministry, but I couldn't help feeling proud that he faced them like a mature man."

"I bet if Alice and Frank know what Neville has done, they would be proud of him, too," Sirius said sincerely, careful not to sound like he's flattering.

"I should thank you in fact," Mrs. Longbottom said oddly, gazing at her son who had just slid down into the sheet.

"For what?" said Sirius, startled.

"You helped making the Lestranges pay. Neville told me you made Bellatrix Lestrange fell through the veil and Roldophus was rearrested and put in Azkaban," Mrs. Longbottom said. Sirius noticed a chill in the air. "But I've heard that Rabastan Lestrange is still on the loose."

"He is, but he'll join his brother in Azkaban in no time," Sirius said in a consoling voice.

"I'm sure Rainzzi will guarantee that," Mrs. Longbottom said confidently.

Sirius looked at the elegant old woman, wondering when Rainzzi had been linked to the conversation. "She's a good Auror," Sirius said idly.

"Speak of the devil," Mrs. Longbottom said quietly and smiled at someone in the doorway. Sirius followed her glance to the two women walking in.

Alice Longbottom was stumbling into the ward slowly, with Rainzzi holding onto her arm, which Alice didn't seem to notice, she just stared forward vacantly with her mouth slightly opened.

"I met Alice in the stairs," Rainzzi whispered to Mrs. Longbottom.

"Hi," Sirius smiled at her socially, his shock genuinely masked. Learning from the unhappy re-encounter with her, he decided to play it cool with Rainzzi.

"Hi," Rainzzi glanced at the man with short hair. Dark-haired and grey-eyed. She couldn't believe what she saw, it's certainly Sirius Black, except that he didn't look like the ex-convict anymore. With his hair cut, Sirius was much better looking, for the first time, he was unmistakably recognisable as the best man in the photo which had been stuck on the board in Kingsley's cubicle for some years. She carefully avoided looking in his way any longer than necessary, but she was conscious of the fact that Sirius was staring at her.

Rainzzi delicately rearranged the pillows and helped Alice to settle on the bed in a comfortable sitting position, she sat down on the chair between Alice and Frank's beds that was facing Sirius and Mrs. Longbottom.

"We have been talking about you, Rainzzi," Mrs. Longbottom told her.

Sirius scowled beneath his breath, he wished Mrs. Longbottom hadn't said that. Her words made him appear to be intentionally finding someone to talk about she, which Rainzzi certainly wouldn't appreciate.

"Have you?" Rainzzi looked at them uneasily. She took an orange from the bedside table, "Do you want an orange, Alice?" Alice nodded, but then she shook her head vaguely. She repeated the motions for a few times, it was difficult to tell whether she wanted it or not. Rainzzi grinned kindly at her, "I'll take that as a yes." She started to peel the orange which she had just wiped with a wet towel.

"You'll try your best to recapture Rabastan Lestrange, won't you?" Mrs. Longbottom said, pulling up the sheet for Alice.

Sirius continued to stared at her, at first stealthily, them more and more boldly.

Rainzzi frowned, everything about the Lestranges was clearly a taboo for her, but Mrs. Longbottom didn't seem to comprehend that. "Doing my best," she murmured distastefully.

"Rainzzi always visits Alice and Frank whenever she has time, and she has been tutoring Neville personally in the summers," Mrs. Longbottom explained to Sirius. Sirius peeked at her, Rainzzi kept her head bowed above the orange and pretended to have heard nothing.

"Neville told me you haven't replied his letters, Rainzzi."

"With the mayhem at the Ministry, I've been working round the clock lately," Rainzzi said dully.

"Don't bother to reply then."

"No," Rainzzi protested quickly, "Tell Neville I'll reply his letters as soon as possible." The way Rainzzi uttered the words clung a delicate tenderness that seemed a bit incompatible with her ostensibly cold demeanour. It appeared that the Rainzzi in the eyes of the Longbottoms was very different from the cold and nonchalant one that occurred to every other one.

"How's the Ministry?" Mrs. Longbottom asked.

"Chaotic," Rainzzi concluded simply.

"And the Auror Department?" Mrs. Longbottom went on insensitively.

Rainzzi handed Alice a slice of orange and indicated her to put it into her mouth. "We're still trying to track the Death Eaters that got away."

Sirius had the impression that his presence had added a certain amount of pressure on her.

"I'll get us some tea," Sirius excused himself from the other two, but not before a peer at Rainzzi who stared back at him directly.

"Have you two met again before now?" Mrs. Longbottom whispered softly.

"Yes," Rainzzi nodded lackadaisically and hesitated, glancing at Mrs. Longbottom before looking away quickly. "I was the one who handcuffed him."

Mrs. Longbottom looked at Rainzzi closely and kind of smiled a naughty smile, "Rainzzi, why don't you go help Sirius for the tea?" Rainzzi groaned, she felt sick at the old woman's matchmaking trick. But alright, she couldn't deny she personally wanted to remove the tension between Sirius and herself, too.

In Rainzzi's dictionary traditionally, it was either enemies or friends; nothing whatsoever was allowed to squeeze in between. But Sirius had been quite an exception; he was both an enemy and a friend. Personally, she still couldn't forgive him for the hardships he had unconsciously brought her in all those years, but now that they were both members of the Order, she wouldn't allow any obstruction to exist between them.

For Rainzzi, frankness was both her greatest strength and greatest weakness, it had provided her the opportunities to acquaint with people of the higher ranks, however alienated her from her inferiors. Although she wouldn't admit that she saw Sirius as a superior, one thing she knew by heart was that to achieve a closer bound with the other Order members, Sirius was clearly the gateway.

Rainzzi put the orange on a plate and placed the plate on Alice's lap. She strode outside and caught up with Sirius just outside the tearoom.

"Mr. Black." Sirius didn't seem to have heard her. Rainzzi tapped on his shoulder hesitantly, "Sirius."

Sirius turned so fast that he almost cracked his neck. He stared at her and ran his fingers through his hair, he didn't know why he did it, but he did remember that it was exactly what James used to do when he wanted to impress Lily.

An awkward silence fell upon them when Rainzzi struggled internally how to say what she had aimed to say. Rainzzi had wanted to open the conversation by saying sorry for her mental outburst back in the suspect room, if truth be told, she was all agitated at that time because she was afraid that she would be degraded again and she must admit after bursting out, she felt much less resentful to him.

"What is it?" Sirius closed the door and performed a privacy charm in the room. He was sure that whatever Rainzzi intended to talk to him wouldn't be something personal but about the Order.

"I, er…" Rainzzi did some quick thinking to cover up for herself, she wouldn't apologize, she still couldn't manage to put away her pride. "Can you tell Dumbledore I can't attend the next meeting?"

"Okay," Sirius replied lightly, he walked to the bench and conjured up three cups.

"And please help me to give Dumbledore this," Rainzzi withdrew the report from her pocket and shove it to Sirius.

"Can I read it?" Sirius asked respectfully. Rainzzi threw up her hand to gesture him to go on.

"That means…" Sirius murmured bewilderedly.

"I stole it from Percy Weasley, because I burst into his office the other day and discovered that he was drinking a strange potion. I brought the potion to authenticate, and it is proved to be a Polyjuice Potion."

"That means Percy Weasley is really Peter Pettigrew?" Loathe and hatred began to fill Sirius' inside, he clenched his fists into a ball menacingly.

"It might not be Pettigrew. We will deal with the fake one after we rescued the real one," Rainzzi said in a detective tone, "Make sure you hand Dumbledore the report, can you?"

"Of course," Sirius assured. He turned back to the cups. He was desperate to find anything that could keep himself busy, her friendship was too precious for him that he didn't want to destroy it by accidentally doing something that would make her think ill of him.

"Thank you," Rainzzi said formally. She progressed to help Sirius with the tea. Impressed by her rare friendliness, Sirius faced her directly. And all at once she dazzled Sirius with a glance so brilliant and rapid. When her eyes, which were generally narrowed, open to their full extent, her face was completely transfigured; it was as though it were flooded with light.

"Rainzzi," Sirius hushed, pouring some hot water over his hand. "Do you want to retrieve your possessions in the Lyttelton Mansion? They are currently under my roof."

"Just throw them away, I don't think I have any more use of them," Rainzzi said carelessly.

"And you know Harry's gonna be back in a few days time?"

Rainzzi stared at him blankly for a moment before she understood who he was talking about, "Harry Potter?"

"Yes," Sirius gasped hopefully, "He's going back on Friday. And I will go to the King's Cross Station to receive him, will you come with me?"

Rainzzi stared at him again, as if trying to judge whether he was joking or not.

"Remus, Moody and the Weasleys would come with me, too," Sirius added hastily.

"No," Rainzzi said, "I need to go to work on Friday. Even if I do have time, I think I should receive Neville instead."

Sirius shrugged would-be-casually and went back to mix the tea that was left untouched for quite a few minutes. He chewed his tongue disappointedly. Harry still hadn't learnt of Rainzzi's identity, but Sirius was sure he would be glad to meet her all the same. He had always had this unrealistic desire, to bring Harry a secondary family together with Rainzzi. _Fat chance,_ Sirius told himself and sardonic remarks kept flashing in his mind, but he didn't have much time to pessimise himself as suddenly a loud crack was sounded.

Someone had opened the door violently. Casting an alarm glance at the doorway, Sirius was grateful that he had performed a privacy charm in the room, standing there, barely missed the bouncing door was Brice Fudge, the infamous son of Cornelius Fudge the Minister. Brice was relatively short as a man, but he looked presentable. He had his nose up in the air, arms crossed in front of his chest and he grinned flirtatiously at Rainzzi.

Rainzzi put down the water bottle calmly. "Hello, Brice," she said. Sirius looked suspiciously from Rainzzi and Brice, battling against himself that whether he should leave or not. But his curiosity had got the better of him, and he was sure if they didn't want to be overheard, they would go out themselves anyway.

"Judging from your bitterness, I bet with 100 galleons that you've read the article about me and Blythe in the last issue of the _Which Witch_," Brice chortled shamelessly.

"Maybe," Rainzzi shrugged. "Anyway, it's not like I give a shit."

Brice looked at her frivolously for a moment then contemplated Sirius with contempt, "Of course you don't give a shit. I can see you flirting with your ex."

"Who I flirt with is hardly your business."

"You're right, I won't intervene your love life as long as you don't intervene mine," Brice straightened himself from the doorframe, Rainzzi's iciness had evidently annoyed him a bit. "Anyway, we'll be late for dinner if we don't go now."

Rainzzi gawked at him with astonishment, "Forgive me but I don't remember inviting you for a dinner."

"Of course you didn't," Brice gave a disgusting sneer, "Your parents did."

Rainzzi bit her lower lip and glared at Brice. She was basically glaring at Brice so hard that her eyes seemed to be sparkling with fierce fire.

"Sweetheart, you're old enough to know that glaring won't do harm," Brice said indifferently, he didn't seem to mind being glared at.

If Rainzzi was able to perform wandless magic with just a blink of the eye, she was sure Brice would have long been smashed into pieces.

"Just come with me now, or we'll be late."

Rainzzi snorted, before inclining her head to Sirius in farewell. She scraped with her heels and strode to join Brice who still had this irritating smile glued on his skittish face. Sirius could have sworn that he saw Rainzzi stepping on Brice's toes when she bypassed him. Brice rolled his eyes and gave Sirius a wink before he disappeared.

Sirius swore and glowered at the empty corridor with jealousy, wishing that he could still impress Rainzzi, but not knowing that he and Rainzzi would meet again in a little more than 2 days' time.

* * *

_A/N: Please review and tell me what you think about Brice and Rainzzi..._


	6. Chapter 6

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––**  
****Chapter 6 – Voldemort's New Plan****  
**–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

It was already past midnight, but Sirius was still wide-awake. He had his back resting comfortably on the headboards and his hands supporting his head from behind. It was completely dark in his bedroom, except the light coming from the tall lamps placed besides the portrait. He stared at the life size photo on the opposite wall.

The photo was taken when James and Lily were taking their wedding photo in the studio and the cameraman had offered a free one for him and Rainzzi, seeing that the best man and the bridesmaid were so splendid a couple in the suit and gown they're trying for the wedding night. Rainzzi was wearing an azure-blue dress of gauze and her hair was done in a French style. She was sitting in a white ancient European-styled swing which was decorated with some lavenders, smiling broadly and leaning against Sirius who sat beside. They had their arms intertwined, and were clearly soaked in love. Out of the corner of the frame, Sirius could see James and Lily lured in every now and than, grimacing and sticking out their tongues along with Remus and Peter.

If the photo could produce any sound, Sirius was sure he would have heard Rainzzi giggling. He tore his eyes from the photo and sighed heavenwards. The image was just like a dream, that's not attainable anymore, it drew a very big contrast to reality. Everything had been so perfect then. James and Lily were still by his side, Peter had not turned to the dark side yet and Rainzzi, she had been so happy, innocent, unharmed. She was so radiant that it hurt to look at her for any longer, and most importantly, the image reminded Sirius of a time when he had been loved so dearly.

But in the current real world, the very opposite was true, although she might still look quite the same, she was no longer the same woman as she once had been. She was now permanently injured, ambitious, hostile and … she was dating Brice Fudge, of all people.

"Brice Fudge is such a filthy and insufferable womaniser, why would anyone want to date him?" was the first question Sirius had bombarded Remus when he came back from the St. Mungo's Hospital. Remus had given Sirius this really unconvincing shrug, for whom he felt sorry, Sirius didn't know.

"Rainzzi doesn't seem to be in love with him," Sirius growled, slapping his hand on the table to vent out his frustration. "Nor does he with her," Remus had told him benevolently.

"Then why the hell do they go out?"

"Brice Fudge has probably a hundred girlfriends, it would do him no harm to add one more in his list," Remus had glanced at Sirius meaningfully, "Still don't you understand? It's like a business going on between the two most respectable wizarding families, the Fudges and the Delanuits. It's a relationship in convenience. And you can't exactly blame Rainzzi for compromising with her parents. After the Lestranges ambushed her, she was left with nothing, nothing but a reputation – she was "the fiancée of the murderer". You can immediately guess how much injustice and contempt she would have to face. So when her family proposed to take her in again, she was quick to agree, even though she was to concede to them for whatever decisions."

"But her parents were just brutal, they had never cared for her. They just set some guidelines for her to follow, and expected her to achieve their goals. She would be better off living by herself," Sirius complained.

Remus placed his hands on Sirius' shoulder and smiled kindly, "If I were she, I would have done the same."

Sirius made an angry voice.

"Why not? She didn't even remember you. And her mother was the ex-Minister for Magic after all. If she didn't return to her parents, she would have never got herself a decent job, let alone a high social status. Besides, she has nothing to lose to follow her parents' will and date Brice. The relation is mutually beneficial to the two families."

"So it's for the job and social status that she agrees to date such a scum? Isn't it pathetic?"

"C'est la vie," Remus had sighed.

_Well, that's life._ It was such a compatible phrase to describe lives. Sirius glanced at the portrait again. He could still remember what Rainzzi was like when she was at school. She had a nickname at that time, "the Ice Queen." Guys (perhaps save James) were unanimous in saying she was beautiful but most of them didn't bother to ask her out. She had been famous for her dispassion for any personal entanglement, perhaps due to the fact that she was the daughter of the current Minister for Magic. And she had been very protective of herself and mistrusting to other people since people must have been blandishing her ever since she was born. It wasn't only boys that she refused to acquaint with; she kept a fair distance from girls of her year.

So although Sirius was also interested in her, when James dared him to ask her out, Sirius had dreaded over it. Indeed, socialising with her had been difficult, because for most of her leisure hours, she hid in her dormitory and avoided encountering people, even her housemates. It had taken him almost a month before she would talk to him, and another two months before she believed he liked her and went out with him.

James, Remus and Peter had described it as a miracle, but in fact skills and charms were all that were needed. Sirius had known well how to court girls and was successful in coming across them. It was a bit irresponsible to start a relation just as a dare, but Sirius couldn't be less regrettable of dating her, she was very nice once she was willing to show her real self. It was just that she had never met anyone she thought was worth her unmasking.

Sirius ran a hand all over his face, still absorbed in thought of Rainzzi. If he were some ten years younger than he was now, he must have shrugged it off when she denied him. But he had learnt how precious it was to be with the ones he liked, during the twelve years that he had spent in Azkaban. He most definitely wouldn't give it up so easily, he couldn't afford to do so, and he promised to himself he would grasp any chance to reconcile with her.

Sirius was about to slide into the sheets when a spark of red and golden fire suddenly appeared right under his nose. And across the country, six more sparks appeared simultaneously at the same time. The fire put out automatically as quickly as it had appeared and a letter dropped onto Sirius' lap. He opened it alertly and read the content.

_Sirius,_

_I want both of you and Remus in my office right now for an urgent special meeting, use the Floo network, I've just connected mine with yours. I'll explain later when you arrive._

_Albus__ Dumbledore_

Just when Sirius was going to grapple the doorknob, Remus swept in, holding a parchment of similar content. "Harry isn't in danger, is he?" Sirius asked nervously as they ran down the staircase into the living room.

"I honestly don't think he is, or otherwise Dumbledore wouldn't have time to write to us," Remus muttered hastily.

"After you," Sirius said, holding out the bowl of Floo Powder for Remus. Remus stepped into the fireplace and clutched a full handful of it. He threw it into the fireplace and said clearly, "Hogwarts, the Headmaster's office."

A fervent green fire arose from nowhere and a second later, Remus was gone with the fire. Sirius promptly followed by doing the same. The fire roared in his ears and ashes kept blowing into his face, luckily, it ended as Sirius thought he was to suffocate. Sirius stepped out of the Dumbledore's fireplace.

Dumbledore's office was almost as dark as Sirius' bedroom, the only source of light came from the silver instrument which was illuminated by the moonlight streaming through window. There were quite a number of people, Dumbledore was as usual sitting calmly behind his desk, and McGonagall was standing behind him solemnly while Snape sat in front of him. Standing besides Remus were Tonks, Kingsley, Mundungus and Moody. They were all wearing impatient frowns.

"Ah, a few chairs," Dumbledore murmured to himself and conjured up seven chairs.

Sirius sat down on one of the chairs and croaked fretfully, "Harry isn't lured somewhere again, is he?"

"Don't worry. He's completely safe," Dumbledore said in his soft voice. Sirius glanced at the white-haired man, Dumbledore looked as old and tired as Sirius had ever seen him, the folds on his forehead were all bugled out. But nonetheless he had an aura of transient triumph around him.

"Then what's it?" Moody said hoarsely, fumbling in his pocket for something. It was till he took out a handkerchief to wipe his magical eye and Tonks choked in disgust that Sirius realised one of his orbits was empty. Moody wiped the dust off his eye all over and put it back to its place.

"We'll not begin until Rainzzi arrives."

"I'm here," Rainzzi's voice materialized from the fireplace as she stumbled out of it. Her brown hair was tied up in an untidy bunch. Under her cloak, she was still wearing her pyjamas and a pair of slippers but she looked perfectly awake.

"Take a seat, you haven't missed a thing," Dumbledore greeted pleasantly. "I'm glad you all arrive so promptly as soon as you received my letters, even though it's already well past midnight. I understand that you're all very tired, so I shall cut the introduction short," Rainzzi settled besides Remus. "I ask you all to assemble here tonight because of a new development. Thanks to Severus, we have got a reliable outline of Voldemort's new plan. Severus, if you please."

They all focused on Snape, he had on his pale face a sneer so complacent that almost approached puerility, it was as if he thought he had done a noble job that had saved the whole world.

"After their failure in seizing the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries with nearly half of them ended up in Azkaban, the Dark Lord's camp was in chaos. But he has quickly reorganized his camp with discipline and had already planned their next projects," Snape paused dramatically, playing with the other's nerves, "Other than mobilising half of the Death Eaters to help those captured to break out from Azkaban, a reliable source has it that the Dark Lord plans to kidnap Sybil Trelawney."

"Why Trelawney?" Tonks said sharply, Sirius was grateful that she had voiced his doubt. He could have asked if Snape's kidding if the atmosphere wasn't so tense. He didn't know Trelawney in person like Tonks did, but he had heard enough of her from Harry. Trelawney, the Divination teacher, might be a spiritual figure, but he really couldn't understand why such an evil wizard like Voldemort would have anything to do with Trelawney.

Dumbledore rose slowly from his seat and started pacing behind the desk, all the while furrowing deeply. "Voldemort has long heard the first half of the prophecy, about himself and the one who defeats him from a first-hand informer sixteen years ago. And in addition of the mysterious prophecy, he still hasn't fully understand the Priori Incantatem, the malfunctioning of his wand when dueling with Harry last year has made him grow to be more precautious. He is desperate to fully comprehend the content of the prophecy before he himself ever works on Harry for a second time, as he cannot risk his life again for his restlessness.

"You should all have known that Sybil Trelawney is the only remaining true seer in this century, and discovering the fact that the last prophecy was already broken, Voldemort realizes that there's only two ways to hear the exact wordings of the prophecy. One, from me, which I've the pleasure to say he still hasn't the guts to. Two, force it out from Trelawney herself. It is unknown whether it works or not, as seers don't usually remember the prophecies they have made. But all the same, if he couldn't force it out from her, he has planned to compel her to make another prediction or more if feasible.

"Rulers in the old days had the habits of consulting seers for advises before taking any important actions, and this is exactly what Voldemort wants. He wants to be forever guaranteed with victories."

Sirius and the others all gasped and held their breaths, slowly digesting the shocking news.

"But seers don't make prophecies whenever they like," Kingsley was the first to overcome the awe, "I mean, when it comes, it comes. He can't compel her to make one, can he?"

"That's right, he can't," Dumbledore nodded, his blue eyes were blazing, though his voice remained calm. "However, in times of great dangers and when seers stay too close with mortality, they tend to perceive more than they usually do."

"Does Trelawney know about the plan?" Sirius asked darkly.

"We told her," Dumbledore said, "But she has taken the news with rather unanticipated nonchalance, which is always a bad sign. Legend has it that seers could in fact sense the coming of any mishaps of themselves beforehand, but most of them would not do anything to prevent it, as they believe it to be a violation of the fate and nature. It is possible that Trelawney has predicted something ab-"

"The point is if Voldemort succeeds in kidnapping Trelawney," McGonagall cut in, she obviously thought that telling the rest such discouraging news wouldn't help. "It will be extremely unfavourable for us. That's why we must remove her from Hogwarts as soon as possible to ensure her safe being."

"But Hogwarts is the safest place," Remus said tranquilly, "Voldemort dares not to go anywhere to Hogwarts when you're here, Professor Dumbledore."

"I'll have a lot of negotiating to do in the summer, like with the Ministry and the foreigners, which means I won't be at Hogwarts at most of the time, and it wouldn't take Voldemort long to discover that," Dumbledore professed, "My suggestion is to let Trelawney seclude in the headquarter of the Order of the Phoenix, that is - the Grimmauld Place. You agree, Sirius?"

"Of course."

"And you seven will take turns to protect her there, starting right from tomorrow," Dumbledore glanced at them with his sparkling blue eyes. All of the rest nodded spontaneously, they were unanimous in declaring their agreement.

"Sirius, Remus, Alastor, and Nymphadora, you're going to fetch Harry in person at the King's Cross Station tomorrow, aren't you?" Dumbledore requested, his face somehow a bit softened at the mention of Harry.

"Yes, we are," said Remus.

"Minerva and Severus will transfer Trelawney to Grimmauld Place when you receive Harry. Sirius, I would appreciate it if you can bring Harry to Grimmauld Place and stay with him there until we confirm everything is fine. And should anything happens in the King's Cross, turn anything into a Portkey and deliver Harry there," Dumbledore said, indifferently overlooking the law.

"Okay," Sirius pledged.

"Hm," Moody cleared his throat, politely calling for attention. "I'm not worried about the workload. But why aren't the others involved? Won't they take part in it?"

The others all looked at Dumbledore curiously, who had an arrested look on his old face, "You're not suspecting any spies among the members, are you, Professor?" Tonks asked.

Dumbledore shook his head seriously, "Not yet. But we should have learnt something from the last time. It's insecure to let everyone knows about all the happenings in the Order, and as the whereabouts of Trelawney is completely vital, I want only the elite of us to be responsible."

"What about the Weasleys?" Moody wanted to know, "They're among the most active ones."

"They've enough on their shoulders already, and Molly has confessed to me that she doesn't want the family to be too much involved."

"What?" Sirius said, he opened his mouth to argue more but stopped when Remus shot him a look.

Dumbledore smiled sadly, "Arthur has offered full help, but it's more than understandable for Molly to have said so, especially after Percy is confirmed to be being disguised. And I must agree with her to a great extent, the Weasley children can't afford to lose his parents."

Sirius peeked at Dumbledore with downcast eyes, blushing a bit for his inconsideration.

"In fact, she even doesn't want Fred and George to join the Order, but they wouldn't allow themselves to be left out. Rainzzi," Dumbledore turned to Rainzzi, who had not uttered one single word after she sat down, "As I understand from the owl you sent me earlier today, you want to change the date to retrieve Percy, right?"

Rainzzi swept away the hair that had fallen into her eyes and lifted her eyebrows, and exchanged a glance with Kingsley. "Yes, because the Auror Department has received a notice today… Percy Weasley is supposed to go with the Minister to a Press Conference tomorrow which will last till noon."

"It's a rare opportunity for the coast to be clear," added Kingsley.

"Yes, it is. Kingsley, Rainzzi, please stay behind for a while to discuss about retrieving Percy tomorrow, while the rest of you may go back now," Dumbledore had sat down behind his desk again, staring at Fawkes, who was sleeping peacefully in his basin. "I apologize again for waking you all so abruptly tonight, that's all I want to say. Goodnight."

Tonks yawned sleepily when Moody carefully took out his magical eyes and walked to the fireplace. "I can take the shift tomorrow," Remus muttered to them as they made their way to the back of the office where the fireplace was.

"The day after tomorrow," said Tonks, holding up her hand, making a reservation.

"Sirius?" said Remus, looking back at Sirius who remained sitting.

"You go," Sirius said quietly, swinging his legs a little. He fixed his eyes on Rainzzi, who was talking to Kingsley and Dumbledore in small voices. He had promised himself he would grasp any chance to reconcile with her and he swore to live up to his promise.

Remus lifted his eyelids but said nothing. He walked into the fireplace after Tonks.

"Do you need more helpers?" Dumbledore was asking them.

Rainzzi and Kingsley looked at each other. "I think we can manage it," said Kingsley.

Dumbledore agreed. "Right. Now, forgive me for repeating again, but please listen carefully for one last time, I want you to search the flat for the real Percy Weasley, who should be unconscious or under the Imperius Curse. One of you takes him back to Grimmauld Place by Disapparition once you find him. And if the time and situation allow you to, I want the other of you stay a little longer to inspect the house after making sure Percy and the other have safely left."

"And you should return afterwards to the Grimmauld Place where Arthur and Molly would be and I'll give you further instructions there," Dumbledore said strictly.

"Good luck, Kingsley, Rainzzi," Dumbledore added with a smile of approbation. "I really appreciate your help." Kingsley and Rainzzi nodded.

Rainzzi progressed to the fireplace with her hands dug into her pockets after Kingsley. When she walked nearer, Sirius could sniff an unmistakable odour of beer and see a faint blush on her cheek. She didn't seem to have realised that Sirius was waiting for her, or if she did, she was concealing it.

"Night, Sirius." Kingsley gave Sirius a passing pat on the shoulder before he disappeared via the Floo Network.

Sirius went straight for the fireplace before Rainzzi did, more to block her from going away than anything. "Rainzzi," Sirius turned to her, when she furrowed. "Be careful tomorrow."

Rainzzi squinted at him and gave him an once-over but she nodded at long last.

If it was fifteen years ago, Sirius would surly have spent some time with her, either helping her to practice some defensive spells or encouraging her, on the night before she had to go on a mission without him. But now, Sirius could only watch when she went with the green flame. Somewhere near his heart, it contracted but he didn't want to register it. He wanted to pretend as if he was confident that they would probably make up in the near future. But he couldn't bring himself to do so.

Feeling Dumbledore's eyes on his back, Sirius stepped into the fireplace, too, only to a destination miles away from hers.

* * *

_A/N: As usual please__ review__, criticism appreciated ;)_


	7. Chapter 7

––––––––––––––––––––––––––**  
****Chapter 7 -The Rescue ****Mission****  
**––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Sirius grinned broadly as Harry and Ron struggled his way to him, with a grin that was quite a match with his godson's. He was quite conscious that many people were pointing at him and cracking their necks to get a better look of him, but he couldn't care less, he was used to mass attention, with the only difference being the attention used to come from female mostly, instead of both sex.

"Hi, Harry," beamed Tonks as Harry approached. Harry nodded with a smile. "Hi."

"All right?" Sirius asked tranquilly, he had his arms crossed in front of his chest and was leaning on the wall charismatically.

"Quite fine," Harry said, grinning still more widely

Sirius pulled him into a one-arm hug. The last time Sirius hugged him had been in front of the Grimmauld Place when Harry was leaving for Hogwarts after the Christmas, and they were both worried and troubled then. Sirius couldn't exactly say they were void of worries this time, given Voldemort's coming back to power and such, but the fact that Harry needed not return to the Dursleys again had put him in an irresistible light-hearted mode.

"How's O.W.L.s, Harry?" asked Remus behind Sirius, giving Harry a typical Professor look before he smiled warmly.

"Err…" Harry's face darkened and exchanged a difficult look with Ron who then walked over to Bill, he had almost forgotten about the exams and when his mind shifted to the Potions exams, he shrugged doubtfully. "I don't know, but I think I did the Defense Against the Dark Arts okay."

Remus raised his brows mildly. "But I wouldn't be surprised if you get an 'O'."

"Remus, don't be such a killjoy. Spare him with the O.W.L.s before the report comes," said Sirius, also smiling, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder as if on his defense. He glanced over at Moody, whose magical eye was sweeping around the entire Station, Tonks and Bill. They were still waiting for Ginny to approach.

"Sirius, are we going to the new house right now?" asked Harry, following Sirius' glance. It was difficult not to note the agitation in Harry's voice.

"No." Harry's smile faltered. "We have to go back to Grimmauld Place before we go to the new house," said Sirius a bit regretfully. He wanted nothing more than to show Harry the home he had promised him in the Shrieking Shack, but an afternoon in his parents' house was nothing when compared to the previous year he had to stay inside. "But I can assure you, it wouldn't take long. Just some minor business to be finished."

Harry frowned. "You know what?" he said thoughtfully. "I still can't believe you've persuaded Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon to move into that house next to yours."

"As a matter of fact, Vernon Dursley still doesn't know what kind of people is living in the house next to the one Sirius 'rents' to them," Remus chimed in.

"He doesn't?" Harry repeated incredulously.

"No, only your aunt does," said Sirius, "To Vernon Dursley, the house is an ideal Muggle house. Large and tidy and ordinary in appearance. The only odd thing about it is that the old lady who owns the house is too senile to calculate, so she offers the house for 10 pounds a month when they're negotiating for a rental fee."

"What?"

Tonks joined in their conversation. "I am that senile lady," she said proudly, crinkling her face and screwing up her nose in imitation of an elderly. "No, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley," she said in a tired voice, "I insist on taking 10 pounds. You're injuring my pride to give me less than that amount!" Tonks grinned when she finished.

"She almost thwarted the deal when Vernon Dursley asked for a electronic calculator and she asked him back what the hell a calculator is," said Remus, smirking. "It was really a close call."

Harry laughed, he could just imagine how green Uncle Vernon must have looked when he heard that question.

"Listen, Harry." Harry looked up at Sirius. "It's Dumbledore's wish that you pay your Aunt and Uncle a courteous visit tonight."

Harry scowled, "They wouldn't miss me."

"But that – is Dumbledore's wish."

"Okay," said Harry, dreading over a prolonged meeting with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.

Sirius was talking to Remus when his eyes made contact with that of a blonde woman's cold ones – the all-too-familiar golden eyes of Narcissa Malfoy's. all at once, he stopped talking and glared at her, who glared back. He felt a whoosh of satisfaction as he remembered her husband and brother-in-law were still locked in Azkaban and that Death Eater sister of hers had fallen through the veil in the death room. Despite himself, he sneered slightly at her, watching as she struggled to keep her temper in check and quickly led her son, Draco, out of the station.

"It's time we start going back," Moody said in his hoarse voice, his magical eye swiveling in its socket.

Sirius nodded. They progressed towards the barrier in the Platform 9¾. One by one they headed towards the barrier, but instead of colliding with solid wall, they soon found themselves standing in between the Muggle platforms 9 and 10.

"Where's Mum and Dad, Bill?" Ginny interrupted abruptly.

"Waiting for us at Grimmauld Place," Bill answered, reaching for Ginny's trunk.

"Grimmauld Place?" Ron repeated to himself. "What about Fred and George?"

Harry looked at Bill for an answer; he could vaguely remember Ron telling him Fred and George had promised to show up at the station to give them the first-hand information of the happenings after their departure. But Bill didn't answer right away and out of the corners of his eyes, Harry could see Sirius exchanged a glance with Remus, all softness had vanished at once from his face; an almost hard expression came into it.

Harry looked at Ron and Ginny, they were equally puzzled. He peeked at Sirius again, but Sirius' expression betrayed nothing more than the unspoken fact that he was slightly irritated. Harry glanced around at the others, none of them was ready to confess. The adults had spared them with something important, he finally concluded.

* * *

"_Alohomora_!" Rainzzi muttered with frustration for the second time, pointing her wand at the Muggle door which didn't open ajar on its accord as it should have.

She glanced around at Kingsley, who was looking thoughtful.

"Give me a hairpin," he said after a moment, as though he had found a solution. Rainzzi looked at him, puzzled, but she pulled a hairpin from her head all the same. Having worked with Kingsley for quite some years, she knew he wasn't one who did things without reasons, especially during missions.

Kingsley took the hairpin, then held his wand in the mouth and inserted the hairpin into the hole of the doorknob, twisting it fervently.

With a transparent snap from the doorknob, the door was unlocked from its frame. Rainzzi looked at the door disbelievingly.

"A little trick I learnt from the Weasley twins," Kingsley smirked as he saw her look. He took the lead to enter the apartment and closed the door carefully after Rainzzi had also entered.

They glanced around the apartment. It presented a formidable landscape: it was a mess that every sane person would stay out of. There were very few furniture; merely the basic ones but things were thrown here and there, turning the floor into a relief map one had to step cautiously across. And at the other side of the living room was a French door. Rainzzi walked over to it and peered outside, the view from the window was magnificent.

"We should search the rooms," said Kingsley.

They parted towards different directions. Kinglsey opened the door on the farer side and searched inside while Rainzzi did the same to the nearest one. But it was suspiciously locked. She pulled the wand out, "_Alohomora_!" she uttered the charm for the third time on that day, and liked the two previous attempts, the charm didn't function.

"Better use the old method," Kingsley said. Rainzzi nodded, picking up the hairpin he had abandoned on the table and tried on the doorknob again. It didn't take her long to unlock the door.

Kingsley opened the door eagerly and peered inside, "He's here! Percy's here."

Rainzzi rushed inside after him. Forced in a far corner of the inventory room in a sitting position was Percy Weasley, who was obviously unconscious. Chunks of his red hair were missing from the top of his head.

"Percy?" Kingsley grabbed his collar and shook him fiercely from side to side, but Rainzzi gently ushered him aside and moved closer to Percy.

She took a small glass bottle of completely clear liquid from her pocket, "Veritaserum, got it from Snape." She forced Percy's mouth open and poured 3 drops in it. Percy Weasley opened his eyes. His face was slack, his gaze unfocused. Rainzzi knelt before him, so that their faces were level.

"Can you hear me?" Rainzzi asked tentatively.

"Yes," came the monotonous voice of Percy.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Percy Ignatius Weasley."

Rainzzi looked at the Kingsley inquiringly, who nodded. "Take him back to Grimmauld Place now," said Kingsley, "I'll stay behind for a bit investigation."

"But Kingsley," Rainzzi began prudently and furrowed for a second as if trying to find the right words. "Don't you think it's a bit _too _easy? I mean we retrieve him too smoothly. Unguarded flat. No nasty dark magic preventing intrusion. It's unlike the way Death Eaters work."

"Have you been expecting a fight or something?" Kingsley asked, slightly amused.

"Some struggle," Rainzzi admitted, "That's why I volunteered to come."

Kingsley smirked, but then he frowned seriously when he reconsidered Rainzzi's caution. "I see your point. But as long as the Veritaserum isn't a fake one, this should be the real Percy Weasley, and that's what mattered," he said thoughtfully, "And I guess we don't have any reason to disregard Snape's reliability." Rainzzi looked at him doubtfully. "Anyway, we'll just have to take him back," he continued.

Rainzzi proceeded to help Percy up, but supporting the fully-grown unconscious form proved to be difficult when she tried to stand up. "He's too heavy."

Kingsley caught Percy under the arm just in time as he wavered sideward and nearly fell onto the floor again. "We'll swap the job. I and Percy DisApparate back to Grimmauld Place, you stay behind."

Rainzzi nodded, eyeing the flat suspiciously. "I suppose the investigation won't take me long."

"So, as usual, be careful," Kingsley said casually and in a blink of the eyes he was gone with Weasley.

Rainzzi stepped over the mess on the floor to the cupboard on the other side of the room. There arranged in the cabinet coherently was a large collection of brownish Potion, which, by sniffing Rainzzi could confirm as the Polyjuice Potion, and stuffed in the drawers below were the ingredients needed for brewing the potion. Pocketing a flask of the potion, she walked out of the room and advanced into the next one.

While the room where Rainzzi and Kingsley had discovered Percy Weasley was unsuspicious looking, this one was really peculiar. Though the room was a windowless one, the interior was filled with frosty breeze. And in place of what a bedroom normally housed, there was just an empty portrait hung on the wall which was painted black. The room was so dark that, in spite of the time in the morning, one could not even see clearly if not for the light coming from the opened doorway.

It took her a few moments to discover something was lying right in the middle of the room on the floor. A white mask.

Rainzzi had barely touched the mask when the sound of the door being opened reached her ear. A look at the shadow cast over her on the floor had indicated the arrival of another person. The owner of the shadow stood still, perhaps waiting for her to turn to him eventually. When that didn't happen, he cleared his throat loudly.

Rainzzi turned to meet her guest, a complacent grin creeping into her face. And she soon met the cold silver eyes of the one man she had always dreamt of encountering.

Both wands out, pointing directly at the heart of the other, they glared at each other.

"Where's Weasley?" he asked unnecessarily, but on his hollowed face, there was no trace of indignation.

"Rescued, of course." His expression was still as blank as a sheet. "And nice to meet you, Rabastan Lestrange," Rainzzi said cheerfully, in fact, she sounded so amicable that one would expect her to hold out her hand for him to shake. However, in the unconstrained frankness of her manners there was perceptible a slight shade of contempt.

Lestrange leaned on the doorframe and stared at her chillily. "You should say 'Long time no see', Rainzzi Delanuit. We've met before, if you can't remember, on the night when your memory was modified," he said.

"Whatever," Rainzzi shrugged indifferently, her sick feeling perfectly uncovered. As a supplementary action to show that she was not at all offended, she grinned at him.

Seeing the enemy wasn't irritated, he tried again, "Tell me, how it feels to have 15 years of memory lost? I'm not trying to offend you or something, I'm just curious. You know, I'm the one who hexed you."

"I feel surprising fine," Rainzzi replied. "And perhaps it's now your turn to tell, how you felt when your brother was recaptured and Bellatrix died falling through the veil?" she asked provocatively while doing the same.

"Contrary to what you might have expected, I feel like thanking Sirius Black for defeating Bellatrix. My Lord now needs replacement of his right-hand servant. And as for Rodolphus, I feel nothing. No harm done! 'cause we're going to meet again real soon," Lestrange said plainly.

"That's true, you'll meet him again 'real soon'," Rainzzi laughed sardonically, a mad glint of aggression evident in her face. "I can guarantee you a family reunion, because I'm going to catch you single-handed and put you into Azkaban again right now."

"Thank God. Does the Ministry still rely on Azkaban?" Lestrange laughed along with her ironically, "Say you really succeed in catching me, I would be really disappointed if I was sentenced to imprisonment in Azkaban again. It's an overestimation to call that place a prison. It's like a park, it's so fragile, not to mention the Dementors have always been on our side. Haven't you ever wondered why the whole lot of us is still sane after the 14 years imprisonment? It's because the Dementors are being lenient with the Death Eaters. They avoided approaching us."

"Arresting you gives me enough satisfaction. I don't care what happens after that," Rainzzi said belligerently. "_Expelliarmus_," she shouted, directing her wand at Lestrange. Lestrange reacted so fast that she barely had time to duck.

"_Protego_," Lestrange deflected the curse softly with a swift flick of his own wand. The jet of red light of her own Stunning Spell bounced back at her as she bended down to duck it. The spell hit the glass orb behind instead; it broke into a million pieces.

"_Stupefy_," Rainzzi yelled as she sent another curse towards Lestrange, she ran out of the room as he shifted leftwards to dodge the curse, allowing the passage of the doorway. Ten years experience as Auror had told her a dark room which had only one way out was always the worst of a battlefield. She ran into the living room and hid behind the large cupboard just when Lestrange appeared from the bedroom.

Rainzzi didn't peek from where she was, but judging from the sound of his fading footsteps, he was heading the wrong way.

"Hey, Delanuit, I thought you said you were here to avenge your memory loss. What're you doing now? I'm right here!" Lestrange shouted, glancing around the room for signs of the Auror, to no one in particular.

Rainzzi knocked slowly on the back of the cupboard, making a sound throughout the room, Lestrange sprung around, but he still didn't have a clear idea of her whereabouts. "Catch me if you can!" Lestrange shouted to no one again.

Rainzzi kicked the cupboard malignantly this time, creating a thunder sound much louder than the last knock, and kept straightening and curving her middle finger which she had revealed from behind the cupboard viciously. Lestrange was again quick to respond; he jumped over the sofa and proceeded to the cupboard while Rainzzi sprinted up the short corridor to the open-kitchen.

She aimed a curse over her shoulder but missed. Lestrange jogged up to the kitchen, Rainzzi stuck out her leg and successfully tripped him over, and he hit the ground face down and groaned in pain. She let out a mad laugh of triumph and raised her wand, another jet of red light streaked at Lestrange.

Lestrange rolled over on the floor and the red light hit the ground, emitting a spark of red light much resembled a small-scaled firework. He covered his eyes from the blinding ray. "_Stupefy_," she bellowed, standing over him, it again missed its target.

Lestrange was already on his feet anew, his heart pounding fervently as he looked over at her. "_Expelliarmus_."

Rainzzi dodged under the table while crying, "_Wingardium__ Leviosa_." The glasses rose in mid-air and fell over the top of Lestrange's head. Before the glasses cracked with him, he slowed down the speeding glasses by shouting, "_Impedimenta_!"

"Don't you think it's a bit childish to play game like this?" Lestrange said loudly, lowering his wand and searching for her. "We are not in kindergarten anymore," he added in a mocking voice with a little laugh, knowing that it would incense her. And it indeed achieved its aim.

Rainzzi sneaked out from under the dinning table and straightened up. Facing him directly, both of them had their wands lowered, but she clasped on it tightly.

"I'll offer you a deal, co-operate with my Dark Lord and I shall spare your filthy life," Lestrange said.

"Why thanks. But I temporarily rather enjoy being an Auror. You know why?" Rainzzi said, with fake civility. "It's because I have the secret desire to eliminate your kind and what's more? Being an Auror doesn't have to pay for any death."

"So I see there's no room for any compromise," Lestrange uttered tenderly, then instantaneously shouted, "_Imperio_!"

The jet of yellow light hit Rainzzi squarely in the face and she was then greeted by the most wonderful feeling. She felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in her head was wiped away gently, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. And then she heard Lestrange's voice, echoing in some distant chamber of her empty brain: Split the wand and throw it out of the window … Split the wand and throw it out of the window…

Rainzzi didn't even rock a bit, she closed her eyes and the next thing she knew was tolerable pain which didn't last long. "You need improvement on that one, Lestrange," she said shrilly and she advanced on him. "_Crucio_." She concentrated hard on her hatred of him, thinking of nothing but the first few years of helplessness she had experienced after the memory-modification.

Lestrange screamed in pain while Rainzzi still glared at him with concentration. He lay on the floor, sweating and twitching horribly. She towered over him, watching cruelly. He raised his wand but she didn't flinch, he was too weak to make any serious harm.

"_Expelliarmus_"

Rainzzi sprung out of the way just in time and looked over her shoulder at the direction which the spell had been shot from, and saw the silhouette of a wizard who had just materialised in thin air.

Rainzzi sighed breathlessly; Lestrange must have pressed the Dark Mark on his arm without her noticing as he twisted on the floor and thus summoned the other Death Eaters there.

For a fleeting moment she thought of conjuring a Patronus to contact the other Order members, but Death Eaters were already Apparating, it'd be dangerous for them to discover the means of communication between the Order members.

There were a total of five Death Eaters in the room, Lestrange and four other masked ones. They outnumbered her and the outcome of the fight was already announced wordlessly upon their Apparation. Rainzzi glanced at the cool eyes staring back through the slits of the hoods with insuppressible terror. It wasn't the time to act heroine, she comprehended. She tried to Disapparate but found instantly that the Death Eaters had already performed the anti-Disapparating charm.

Lestrange was back on his feet, no longer laughing, when the Death Eaters enclosed around her, blocking her way left and right. Five lit wand tips were pointing directly at her heart.

"_Stupefy_," Rainzzi pointed her wand at one of them, then quickly turned to another and yelled the spell again. The bald Death Eater ducked it and the others didn't even strive to retaliate, they were just looking down at Rainzzi with sarcastic sympathy.

"Is that what you're good at, Lestrange? Defeat the others by outnumbering them?" Rainzzi cried as she deflected an Imperius Curse and it bounced back to the imposer, but the Cruciatus Curse that Lestrange issued hit her solidly in the heart.

Rainzzi was thrown off her feet, she lay face down on the floor, shivering as though the ground was made of ice. She rocked from side to side as she was engulfed in pain beyond anything she could remember; her very bones were on fire, shuddering and jerking more violently.

Just as she thought she was going to die of the pain past endurance, it's gone. She could hear the raucous scream of laughters from the surrounding Death Eaters. She wouldn't let them have her, Rainzzi slowly rose from the floor, with her wand still tightly clasped in her hand, but Lestrange had again got the better of her.

He bodily pinned her to the floor; pressing her down with one of his arms and clutching her wand hand firmly with the other. His gaunt and skull-like face was just inches from hers. Her struggles were simply useless, provided that Lestrange was still much stronger than she was despite his imprisonment in Azkaban. She glanced around hopelessly and was met with nothing but the shadows of the Death Eaters.

"Do you want to experience it again? Having your memory wiped?" Lestrange breathed onto Rainzzi's fearful face with a feverish, fanatical glow. She tried to disApparate again, although knowing perfectly that it was useless, she remained under Lestrange's grip.

She was conscious that there were some space between the bold Death Eater and the long-haired one who she could recognize as Narcissa Malfoy, but even if she succeeded in sneaking out of the tight circle, she would still have a very narrow chance to get out of the apartment; she was being encircled in a far corner some long distance from the door.

Lestrange waved his wand dramatically in front of Rainzzi. "Just the memory charm will do, but if you want a more exciting effect, I'd add the Cruciatus Curse to it. It will turn you into another Longbottom," he threatened, his eyes crackling with aggressiveness beyond reason.

* * *

_A/N: Please review_


	8. Chapter 8

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––  
**Chapter** **8 **– **The Rescue Mission II****  
**––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Harry stepped into Grimmauld Place after Sirius, the place was brightly lit, never had it looked more welcoming in the past. And he suspected that the non-existence of Kreacher had a certain amount of contribution. He walked into the kitchen, eager to meet that 'someone' Sirius had said he was to be introduced to. But instead of someone pleasant, who Harry met the first was his Potions Professor, Severus Snape, who was snorting as what he usually did. Harry glared at him; he still hadn't forgotten the indifferent manner Snape had shown in Umbridge's office when he told him Padfoot was in danger. But at the same time, he couldn't help wondering what business had he got in Sirius' house; Snape never stayed longer than he needed to.

"Trelawney's here already," Snape announced. Harry looked at Sirius round-eye and opened his mouth, but Sirius silenced him with a stern look and mouthed, "Not now, I'll tell you about that later."

"What about Percy then?" Bill asked immediately, closing the door behind him.

"Back with Kingsley, Arthur and Molly are asking him questions," McGonagall, who had just appeared behind Snape, said, "But Rainzzi haven't come back yet."

…

Lestrange waved his wand dramatically in front of Rainzzi. "Just the memory charm will do, but if you want a more exciting effect, I'd recommend adding the Cruciatus Curse. It will turn you into another Longbottom," he threatened, his eyes crackling with aggressiveness beyond reason. The other Death Eater laughed behind him.

"Our master knows, he knows Dumbledore will soon be suspicious that there maybe a spy in the Ministry," Lestrange said, "That's why one of us is always watching over this apartment."

"But still you lots lost Weasley right under your noses," Rainzzi whispered with a little laugh, because she knew perfectly it would anger him, when bright sunlight shone through the French door onto her face, dazzling her eyes.

"It may not be as simple as what you think," Narcissa Malfoy interrupted meaningfully. She pulled off her hood, revealing her face which was lit with satisfaction. "Indeed, we lost a Knut, but we gained a Galleon in the process. You're much closer to both Fudge and Dumbledore than Weasley is. I can ensure you that you'll be greatly of help."

"You'll have a difficult time if you want to force me into spilling the beans," Rainzzi breathed stubbornly, narrowing her eyes to hide away her horror. "You're being outsmarted," Rainzzi uttered nonsense, attempting to scare the Death Eaters, and a few sharp intakes had proved that it worked, "You'll just have to wait."

Only Lestrange didn't seem to buy her trick. "We can wait, but by that time you'll already have your memory wiped clean," he whispered menacingly. He rose a bit from her, but carefully not to release her.

"Didn't you say I'll be of help? Do you possibly think an empty shell would be helpful to you lots?" Rainzzi said unflinchingly. She was sure Lestrange was still considering flicking his wand a nanosecond before Narcissa grabbed him back. "Master wouldn't like to have her memory wiped, Rabastan," Narcissa said in her drawling voice. Lestrange thumped on the floor in frustration when a rush idea arose in Rainzzi's mind. "We'll have to play it slow," Narcissa continued.

Lestrange turned to his fellows and said unwillingly, "So, tie her up and bring her back before anyone comes then." He further rose from Rainzzi but still with his arm pressing firmly on her. In a split second, it looked as though she was ready to be co-operative with them but right in the next moment, she kicked hard at the gap between Lestrange's legs. He groaned loudly in mingled pain and anger while she grabbed his wand and threw him off her.

Rainzzi waved his wand and muttered the counter one of the anti-disapparating spell, but she soon found miserably that he was not the imposer of the spell, which meant the spell was still in effect. Rainzzi bit her lower lip; there was only one hard way to escape from the crew.

Narcissa was the swiftest in response; the other three surrounding Death Eaters didn't come to Lestrange's rescue and protest at once; whether they were really that clumsy or they were just not expecting a struggle, Rainzzi didn't have any time to spare a thought as Narcissa shot her a Stunning Spell. Panting slightly, Rainzzi rolled on the floor and ducked it. She got up quickly from the floor and dodged some more spells when she ran towards the blinding sunlight. She raised her arms protectively above her head while she kicked the French door broken and jumped down from it.

…

Harry sat side by side with Ron and looked around in total silence; Remus had been dead quiet, he was seated a few seats away from everyone, isolating himself, and had hidden his face behind his palms while Sirius kept pacing incoherently around the room. Snape was standing with his arms crossed in front of his chest with a countenance of nonchalance when Kingsley, Tonks, Moody and the Weasley adults interrogated Percy at the other side of the room. (Percy was looking greatly ashamed and scared, and his unhealthy look had further exaggerated his ill being.) McGonagall had gone to contact Dumbledore, who was currently attending Fudge's press conference. Harry looked inquiringly at Ron and Ginny, but they were too busy peeking at their family.

They had stopped questioning Percy for no less than 5 minutes before Sirius eventually abandoned pacing. He had his face screwed up when he stood in the spot and kept muttering impatiently under his breath. Harry could hardly make out what he's murmuring, "Suddenly anti-apparation…and far behind schedule…" Sirius clapped his hand hard on his forehead for a few times and then…he started pacing again.

"Sirius, stop worrying. Rainzzi is very capable of looking after herself," Tonks suggested, "She may have decided to disable the accessibility in order to search the apartment undisturbed like she always does."

But Sirius didn't seem to be convinced. "But she should've been back by now."

"That's right. But there shouldn't be any danger as the coast was still very clear when I disapparated," said Kingsley, standing up straight to show that he was all concerned and serious.

"What if something happened after that?" Sirius demanded pessimistically.

"Black, stop muttering nonsense," Snape commented nonchalantly, with a very hateful look of someone enjoying the play, "We are here chaotic enough without your confusing murmurs."

Sirius turned and glared at Snape indignantly for a moment but his face was soon brightened up with brilliance as if he had seen the light at the end of the tunnel. "Snape, press the Mark," he said calmly but yet clearly.

"What?" Snape asked, apparently surprised, and he clutched on his left forearm, where everyone knew his Dark Mark was stamped, unconsciously.

"In case they've got hold of Rainzzi, pressing the Mark may enable you to be summoned there," Sirius said at once. Clinging on his hoarse voice was an evident amount of hopefulness.

Remus raised his face from behind his palms and also glanced up at Snape hopefully, but what Snape replied had the equivalent effect on him as if he was poured a basket of cold water right over his head. "That's impossible." Snape said loudly, taking a few steps backwards, away from Sirius and glared at him with a wrinkle of his big nose.

"Just try!" Sirius bellowed, grabbing Snape's collar and bumping him against the wall, and raised his clenched fists. Remus leapt forward to prevent Sirius from advancing when Kingsley pulled Snape back from the reach of Sirius. "Who knows what may happen to Rainzzi? Just press the Mark already and see if she was okay!"

Harry stared at Sirius blankly; he had never seen Sirius so angry and agitated, not even on the night when Snape had appeared in the Shrieking Shack uninvited and later mixed up the whole idea. He didn't who this 'Rainzzi' was, but whoever she was, Harry was sure she meant a lot to Sirius.

"I'm supposed to be on their side. Let's assume the Death Eaters have got hold of her, could I possibly just go there and help an opponent? And use your brains if you have any, Black. I shouldn't have known it otherwise, how could I ever explain when they ask why I know about it? Tell them 'I've just learnt from Weasleys that you've got Delanuit, that's why I come,' huh?" Snape spat fiercely, struggling against Kingsley firm hold in trial to free himself.

Remus looked from Snape to Sirius and back again, then he finally broke his muteness, "Sirius, should Rainzzi in mortal danger, she would've contacted the Order already."

"What if she wasn't able to?"

Sirius' eyes met Remus', and mutely they both arrived at the conclusion that something had to be done. But before they could do anything a loud crack was heard throughout the spacious kitchen, capturing everyone's attention. Lying in the middle of the room was the injured form of Rainzzi, bleeding slightly at various parts, with some broken glasses sticking from her hair and clothes here and there.

Ron nudged Harry slightly in the ribs and jerked his head towards the woman, and Harry's heart immediately gave an abrupt throb, something about this woman gave him an aura of familiarity, he felt like he had known her before.

There was a moment of dumbness in the room when neither anyone spoke nor moved. Being the first to have comprehended what had happened, both Sirius and Remus rushed to Rainzzi's side, and Remus, who had been standing way farer to her, accidentally shoved Sirius out of the way in his eagerness to reach Rainzzi. By the time Sirius approached her, Remus had already enfolded her in his arms. "God bless, you're back!" He hugged her very tightly.

"Don't! It hurts," said Rainzzi as she struggled to hold herself up on four.

"What happened, Rainzzi? Were you cornered by some Death Eaters?" Sirius asked all concerned and worried; this seemed to fully wake her up. Rainzzi opened her eyes to their full extent and glanced around the kitchen for the first time ever since she arrived in hunt of Dumbledore, "Where's Dumbledore?" she inquired quite impolitely.

"He's still in the Ministry, Dumbledore knew what had happened," McGonagall said, Harry wasn't sure whether she had walked in first or she had spoken first. "He heard from a Ministry official that the fake Percy Weasley, whoever he is, has just resigned half an hour ago."

Nearly all the people who knew of its meaning in the room groaned in unison. "Where's he then?" Moody asked in his hoarse voice.

"We don't know, but Dumbledore supposed some Death Eater has contacted him and have him sneaked out of the Ministry already," McGonagall answered shortly, then she turned to Arthur and Molly Weasley, "Arthur, Molly, move quickly. Dumbledore wants you two to bring Percy to meet him in the Ministry right now."

Arthur and Molly nodded promptly; one of them placed an arm around Percy's shoulder when the other grabbed his arm, helping their son up. Percy bowed his head and Harry could see him gasping embarrassedly in desperation before the three of them all Disapparated.

"What about me then?" Rainzzi asked in uneven breathes, "Perhaps I should go back to the Ministry, too, and convince Fudge I have found the real Percy Weasley in his apartment?" She got herself free from Remus forcefully and stood up, but she soon went weak with fragility and if Remus wasn't quick to retrieve her, she would have fallen down on the floor again.

"Rainzzi, Dumbledore asked you to stay here until he comes back," said McGonagall plainly, her eyes widened a bit as she took in Rainzzi's injured form.

"But Fudge wouldn't be convinced," Rainzzi said resentfully, "He would excuse the whole thing as a whole bunch of coincidences until they don't threaten his reliability to the public!"

"Dumbledore has his reasons, you don't have to worry, Rainzzi," McGonagall said harshly, pointing at one of the chairs to indicate that she should take a seat.

Discontented yet unconfident to challenge McGonagall's authority, Rainzzi faltered to the vacant chair moodily. Harry observed it when Sirius stood in his spot with a slight frown as Remus leapt forward to help Rainzzi settling.

"Tell us what happened back in the apartment after Kingsley left, Delanuit," Snape ordered in a manner very much like investigating a suspect or even a criminal. Sirius snorted slightly at him but he understood by heart it was not time for bickering and avoidable arguments. The others all focused on Rainzzi expectantly.

"Rabastan Lestrange came," Rainzzi said, skillfully skipping the part where she had been attracted by the dark artifact and had stayed for curiosity, "We fought. I nearly caught him but then he pressed his Dark Mark and summoned his fellows after he recovered from the unforgivable curse I used on him."

"I bet there were quite a few of them the Death Eaters summoned there? How did you succeed in escaping then?" Kingsley asked with his professionalism humbly displayed.

"A total of 5, Lestrange included. And Narcissa Malfoy was also among them, she pulled off her hood and I saw her in profile. I couldn't handle them single-handed so I soon got cornered, and one of them had performed the anti-apparation spell." Harry noticed there's a deep shade of crimson in her cheek as she lessened her volume; it was as if what she's going to say was doomed to humiliate her. "Lestrange pinned me on the floor and threatened to do it to me again…" Her voice trailed off to an undertone slowly.

Harry didn't have any idea what she meant, but judging from the angry voice from Sirius and darkened and sympathetic looks of the others, they did. "But Narcissa Malfoy stopped him because You-know-who wouldn't be pleased to have a useless empty shell, and I kind of dodged them all when they were least expecting it. And then I jumped down from the building and escaped."

Remus slid his hand comfortingly on Rainzzi's shoulder and rubbed it. Snape, on the other hand, didn't show any sympathy at all. Instead he resumed his chilly voice, "Why didn't you contact us, Delanuit? Have a weird thing for heroism?" Harry glared back as Snape shot him a meaningful glance of sarcasm.

"_One more word, Snape_!" Sirius turned to Snape and pulled out his wand dangerously, his eyes glinting with daggers until Tonks directed his attention back to Rainzzi.

"I was not trying to act the heroine," Rainzzi said coldly, "It's just that they immediately surrounded me after they had apparated there, I couldn't possibly conjure up a Patronus in front of them, could I?" She wanted nothing more than to hide in a hole, she was always reluctant to act as if she thought she was sacrificing for the Order, but unfortunately that's exactly how it sounded.

"Then did you spill any confidential information to the Death Eaters?" Moody queried, obliviously in a tone much like that of Snape's.

"Nothing. They don't even know Kingsley had been there."

Rainzzi gave a little dignified smile as McGonagall beckoned her mild appreciation. "Sirius," McGonagall turned to Sirius, "I think you should escort Rainzzi to a vacant room and take care of her cuts." Sirius nodded.

But Remus interrupted, "I'll do the job." His hands were still clutching tightly on Rainzzi's shoulder and his eyes had never left her ever since she's back.

Sirius looked at Remus very coolly, "No, thanks. She's my fiancée after all. I think you know better than _that_, Remus." Harry gawped at Sirius, thunderstruck at the mention of the word 'fiancée', Sirius had once told him he had a fiancée, but had let slipped nothing more. Harry looked at Rainzzi again, he finally knew who the woman was; the bridesmaid of his parents' wedding.

Sirius gathered Rainzzi up easily in his arms in one single swift movement and lifted her up; Rainzzi looked as if she would have protested if only she wasn't so delicate at that moment. Sirius strode past Remus like he didn't exist; he didn't slow down until he reached the staircase. He held her closer and closer to himself, endeavouring to fill every bit of space between them, hoping against hope that he could hold her eternally.

Sirius carefully avoided tripping over the troll leg and walked up to his bedroom. He set Rainzzi in a sitting position on his bed speechlessly, he almost felt exasperated at the inevitable disappearance of their closeness and then he summoned a flask of medicinal liquid and some cotton. Delicately he applied some potion on the cotton and pressed ever so softly on her cuts on her arms; Rainzzi neither winced nor made any sound at all. Sirius noticed his hand was shaking slightly as his finger made contact with her skin, and he soon realized he was engulfed once again in the sense of longing that had been haunting him so badly recently.

His thoughts trailed to Remus' expression he had on his face when he scrutinized Rainzzi, it wasn't a pure look of nervousness but one of significant anxiety. All the years, Sirius was convinced Remus had been so generous as to look after Rainzzi for him, but why, why didn't he ever considered the possibility of Remus liking Rainzzi and looking after her for his own secret ambitions?

Remus had forever been the non-committal guy that always benignly avoided acquainting with the opposite sex in fear of falling in love with them, but he had been in close bound with Rainzzi in the years when Sirius was wrongly imprisoned in Azkaban. Why would he have consented to waste his time on her when he was supposed to be in denial of anything and anyone linked with Sirius? And hadn't he been all nervous and agitated when Sirius told him they had stayed alone in the suspects' room?

Then, had love been the genuine reason why Remus refused to be the best man a long time ago after Sirius told him he was engaged with Rainzzi? Had Remus liked Rainzzi all along? Sirius marveled extravagantly. However, what really bothered Sirius wasn't merely that. The real problem was: what if the feeling, if there was any, was mutual?

Remus had been the only one in the old crew that Rainzzi had reaccepted after her memory was wiped, and they had stayed close in the years to have come. And didn't everyone agree that heterosexual couples made lousy friends?

Sirius pressed the last piece of soaked cotton on the cut on her cheek, he could feel her flinch before she awkwardly drew back. "I can handle that one myself," Rainzzi said, she reached for the cotton and applied it on her cheek, carefully looking the other way.

Had he not been so prudent of his emotions, Sirius would have already punched the air in frustration, he was sure if it was Remus who gestured to clean the wound for her, she wouldn't have withdrawn.

Sirius glared malignantly at the doorway as he heard someone turn the doorknob, but instead of Remus who he had expected, it was Dumbledore. Rainzzi looked at Dumbledore eagerly when she abandoned healing her cuts.

Dumbledore silently walked to them, "Minerva told me everything. Are you alright, Rainzzi?" he asked in a warm and fatherly voice.

Rainzzi nodded nonchalantly, "How did Fudge respond?"

"As anticipated, he refused to believe the truth-"

"He can't!" Rainzzi exclaimed, "He just cannot!"

"Rainzzi, just listen to me," Dumbledore interjected importantly, sitting on the vacant chair besides Sirius, "The fake Percy Weasley had resigned the first thing after he was notified of what happened in the apartment. When I went up to Cornelius Fudge with Arthur, Molly and Percy and told him his undersecretary had been a spy of Voldemort, he just regarded it as another attempt to discredit and publicly humiliate him. He refused to believe anything I said, in my opinion, he still hasn't got over the last time I proved him wrong."

"But he cannot just ignore the truth and get on as if nothing happened; he needs to publicize the incident. Who knows how much the Ministry has already leaked out?" Sirius said.

"Sirius, you don't know Fudge as well as I do," said Dumbledore calmly, holding the tips of his fingers together, "To put it simply, he is reluctant to get himself into scrapes ever again. He has just held a press conference, claiming that the Ministry had got some useful information which will come in handy against Voldemort, which I doubt if he had any, he couldn't possibly let anything to destroy the goodwill and hopes he has just created."

"But I'm an evident of everything, I can go convince Fudge," Rainzzi said, motioning to get out of bed immediately. Wordlessly and blankly, Sirius stood up and lifted her legs back onto the bed, but Rainzzi violently shook off his hold.

"No, Rainzzi, I'm afraid you can't," Dumbledore said unwillingly, "You're the only one among us that Fudge counts on, if you revealed your participation of anything related to me, we'll lose the access to the Ministry's unpublished news and plots."

"So we'll just let it pass underground?" Rainzzi asked resentfully.

"We need to take one step backward in order to achieve two steps forward," Dumbledore whispered with a twinkle in his clear blue eyes. He patted Rainzzi slightly on the shoulder and turned on his heels.

"Dumbledore," Rainzzi whispered suddenly, "Narcissa Malfoy said some suspicious thing that suggested You-know-who is expecting of someone of our side there. Do you think it's part of a plot?"

"I have no idea as of yet," Dumbledore shrugged with a furrow, which was soon replaced by a reassuring smile, "But I'll have Snape take care of it. Just take a rest, Rainzzi." With an inclination of his head to Sirius, he walked out of the room, leaving the two of them alone in silence again.

"I need to go back to the Ministry," Rainzzi said, extremely foiled. Sirius gently pushed her back down on the bed saying, "Dumbledore asked you to stay out of it."

"I'm just going back to resume my auror job."

"No, just stay and have a long rest," Sirius said caringly. When she wasn't convinced, he added, "If my being here bothers you, I'll just get out, but please, take a rest, Rainzzi."

Rainzzi evaded looking back at him and shifted distractedly when Sirius departed. How nice a _'No, stay with me, Sirius'_ would sound, Sirius wondered miserably as he closed the door. Then he met Remus right outside the room, "We need to talk, Remus," Sirius said.

* * *

_A/N: Please review…__Ch.__ 9 is nearly finisheddd…_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - Remus and Rainzzi**

* * *

"We need to talk, Remus," Sirius said.

Remus inclined his head in his peculiar way, "Exactly what I reckon. They've all left, only Harry remains. He's in his bedroom. The kitchen should be empty." Taking the lead towards the kitchen serenely, he did not once glance back at Sirius until they arrived at the kitchen. Remus sat down casually and Sirius took a seat adjacent to Remus', for a minute or so, they simply sat there, waiting for the other to take the initiative to start the controversial yet highly necessary conversation. Unable to bear with the intolerable silence, Remus finally broke it courteously.

"Look, Sirius, it's not what you think," Remus began, then he hesitated, "I mean, it's not what it seems to be."

Sirius stared at Remus quietly, "Then tell me what it is."

Remus was slightly taken aback, the tranquility of Sirius' response shocked him, it was not something he had been expecting. He had thought Sirius would simply snap and he would not be surprised if he thumped him right away. Of course, Remus was grateful of that, at least, he could have the opportunity to explain.

"It is nothing," Remus said paradoxically, looking firmly back at Sirius.

Sirius let out a scoff, but it was one so soft that was not far from being mistaken as a smirk. "To what extent do you think it's nothing?"

"Nothing special has found its way to me and Rainzzi," said Remus hastily, "At least, not now."

"Then what about in the past?" Sirius asked sharply, his fathomless blue eyes bored into Remus' demandingly.

"Whatever happened in the past is irrelevant to the present, Sirius."

"Still, I want to listen to it," Sirius said, leaning forward on the table with a concentrated expression, and swept his arm in an absent-minded manner. "And I must add that there's no need to whirl about or reserve anything. Just tell me the whole story."

Before Remus could get the nerves to answer straight-forwardly, his eyes wistfully swept to the fireplace, as though he wanted nothing more than to just disappear into the fireplace and thus avoid answering the question, but…he knew well that the discussion was not to be postponed; if the story must be unearthed, he hoped it was from his own lips. "Do you really want to listen to it?"

Sirius beckoned.

"If you're so sure…Let's see…I suppose it all traces back to 15 years ago when you were wrongly imprisoned in Azkaban for blowing up the muggle street and betraying James and Lily." Remus could not help letting out a gasp before he spoke again. "I was utterly thwarted; I had lost everything overnight. James and Lily were gone, Peter was murdered and you had supposedly betrayed us all…"

Sirius stared at Remus fixedly with a slightly baleful look, as though daring him to say anything like "My agony tempted me to chase after Rainzzi in order to seek comfort".

"Rainzzi had come to me the day after you were sentenced to life imprisonment in the prison, trying to talk me into persuading them to give you an open trial. But I had decided to isolate myself then, I had dictated myself not to be in contact anymore with everyone who would bring reminisces of you lots, and basically I had been furious about you. I didn't think you deserve a trial…" Remus chanced a peek at Sirius between sentences, but Sirius looked all eager and tempting that he couldn't possibly stop for any longer. "And I had actually considered living my life as a muggle from then on until…you know…the news of Rainzzi being tortured by the Lestranges reached me a few days later.

"And my mind changed completely…Although I was fully aware that her memory was beyond remediation, it did not stop me from attempting to reacquaint myself with her. Everyone was astonished of it; they thought I should be indignant of everything that was linked with you. But I would attribute my attempt to the fact that I no longer regarded her as a possible accomplice, but a fellow, an equal, if not a more pitiable victim, and no less, my guiltiness. Had I pay more attention to her or stay with her, Lestranges would never have the chance to lay their fingers on her."

"Honestly, Remus, I still can't believe you hadn't taken care of Rainzzi," Sirius looked away from Remus for the first time, trying to smooth the anger that was spreading dangerously inside. "Rainzzi and I were two different entities, you shouldn't have vented out your frustration of me by ignoring her."

"I know, but…" Remus swayed for a bit, but there was no excuse. "Anyway…after Rainzzi had lost her memory, Mr. and Mrs. Delanuit started feeding her with false information about her past. They told her she had always been obedient and on good terms with them. And they also trying to indoctrinate into her that she had been threatened into an engagement with you, and that she had never been in love with you." Sirius made an angry sniffing with his nose, which Remus knew was of mixed incredibility and devastation.

"But I felt that it was kind of cruel," Remus continued incredulously, "It's really pathetic to live with an untrue past, so I surreptitiously communicated with her anonymously as a truth-spiller, telling her all the truth that I considered as essential.

"Rainzzi was kind of doubtful at the very beginning, but I reckoned her elder brother- you know- Sunny had somehow justified my statements. Out of idle curiosity of her unknown past, she replied my letters and eventually believed in my reliability. Reserving most of the minor details about you and her- you know, I did not think it's a good idea to have her filled with them and besides, she was not particularly nosy about you- I finished my destined job soon. But we didn't stop keeping in touch, we sort of became each other's outlet of desperation and misery. We wrote to each other whenever we were in need of a listener, and natural curiosity made Rainzzi later demand revelation of my real identity. I did not want to hide in the dark, too, but then her father was still very influential in the Wizarding world in spite of his retirement, and he was at that time proposing many anti-dark creature laws that aimed to discriminate against my kind."

"Remus…" Sirius interjected sympathetically, but Remus dismissively waved his hand to silence him.

"You got the reason why I did not tear off my mask, Sirius," Remus said plainly, carefully composed his face to be devoid of self-disgust. "Our friendship subsided after that, Rainzzi was reluctant to spare any more time for me; an anonymous pen-friend who never revealed his own identity. Beside, the prejudice other people showed her had driven her excessively long for power which would guarantee her a high-status and social recognition, she was struggling very hard to rise in the Ministry. And with the help of the family name and her closeness with Fudge's family, she was soon accepted as a junior auror…"

"Remus, I have known this part of the story long ago," Sirius said impatiently, "Can you not beat about the bush?"

"This is in fact where my story started," Remus said, Sirius immediately turned a bit rigid at that. "That was exactly when I started to wonder about the feeling I had for Rainzzi…I was sure that it was neither mere friendship nor could I call it love…But I certainly fancied her in some ways…" Remus stole a glance at Sirius cautiously.

Sirius twisted his face and returned the glance very sharply, but he didn't say anything. He just jerked his head up a bit, motioning Remus to continue speaking.

"I had tried to bottle it up, I really did. Still, I was unable to restrain myself from protesting when Rainzzi obliged to date Brice Fudge in order to please her parents and the Fudges. She was soon promoted as a senior auror. Revealing my real identity, I did not care about the consequences of bringing my identity to light anymore, I tried to persuade her that it was not worth it to date Brice, but Rainzzi valued her job and status far too much. And I was fully aware of my insignificance. I knew that even if I confessed the mild feeling I had for her, it still wouldn't make any difference at all."

When Sirius looked at Remus, who was both agitated and flustered, there was hazily recognizable a pang of confusion in his heart. He was feeling sorry but he didn't know who he was feeling sorry for…Was it really Remus? Or was it himself instead? Sirius had anticipated that Remus had done every nasty thing to disregard him in order to impress Rainzzi, but it was far from reality. What Remus confessed kind of spoiled his earlier irascibility, not only was Sirius made conscious of his unimportance to Rainzzi (Remus didn't even need to do anything against him) but he also almost felt pitiful of Remus. How ridiculous was that? Remus was supposed to have double-crossed him! And there Sirius was, inwardly pleading for mercy from himself.

"And then 3 years ago, when you escaped Azkaban and remained at large, everything was twisted and turned upside-down. In half a month's time, Rainzzi was degraded as a junior staff in some small Ministry department and Dumbledore asked me to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She had been all fragile and defeated at that time, and we had been exceptionally close as I was the only one she felt that she could rely on. I knew I shouldn't have raised my hopefulness, but then our statuses were changed. I was superior to her for the first time, and then I grew to gain enough confidence to insinuate into Rainzzi that I have a thing for her," Remus said, his voice soft and shameful.

"She was no fool, she soon got the implication. Throughout that year, we got closer as we had never been. However, we never started, because Rainzzi was wishing that her nominal relationship with Brice could prevent her from being further demoted. Despite that I wasn't so superficial as to give a damn for their nominal relationship; her mindfulness of morals had put a halt on our progress. And our entanglement and lousiness had vanished about a year later, after I discovered the truth of your accused betrayal."

Remus halted and met Sirius' intent stare. Sirius' expression was thoughtful but quite unreadable, it was impossible to guess what he was thinking about.

"I'd a serious word with Rainzzi, and she didn't protest. In fact, she had never given a shit when it came to me," Remus gazed at the ancient platinum vase on his right, but Sirius had caught his sad countenance before he turned. "It's all that happened between us, it was nothing in fact. We didn't contact again until she rejoined the Order. I can assure you that the feeling was not mutual at all, it never has been. It's just me. It's nil on Rainzzi's side."

"Are you sure?" Sirius inquired, deadpan.

"Positively," In spite of himself, Remus nodded with a little smile.

"So…" Sirius began uncomfortably, "Do you still like Rainzzi now, Remus?"

"No!" Remus replied a little too promptly. "I doubt that."

"I see," said Sirius, staring at Remus who returned the stare.

An alarmingly excruciating silence descended upon the two men sitting around the dinning table, each enveloped by their own thought. Sirius rubbed his chin distractedly, torn in between what to feel. To be honest, he didn't really feel furious, but at the same time he couldn't quite bring himself to say that he felt nothing. It was like…yes, it was like being tickled by pins or something of the sort, one wouldn't really feel painful; nonetheless it annoyed him/her to death. How hopeless was that?

Sirius glanced up at Remus, who squirmed would-be-nonchalantly, his lips twisted for a while but he determinedly pressed them together. God, he almost told Remus not to feel guilty or anything. _Don't feel sorry for him, he's been chasing after your girl,_ a voice arose from somewhere in Sirius' brain, _had Rainzzi have the same feeling for him, he would have already betrayed you! _

_But, _another voice appeared, _do you have any grounds to be indignant of Remus? Can you seriously blame him? _Sirius leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes peacefully. That's right; he didn't have any grounds to be indignant of Remus. How could he blame Remus for falling for Rainzzi?

Emotions were a very weird and uncontrollable thing that no one could ever suppress, Sirius knew it. And the origin of affection was always untraceable; one never knew approximately when he/she had fallen in love, when it came, it came.

Sirius brought his face behind his palms, trailing off to think about himself and Rainzzi. The problem between them was exactly that, love was neither controllable nor traceable. And another major problem was: people fell in love at different times and fell out of it at different times. One was left sadly juggling the pieces of a fractured heart while the other had danced away. Everyday Sirius told himself not to mourn over Rainzzi, but he ended up thinking more of her, wanting her more. It was not just anguish, but also frustrating. And, Sirius thought, it might be what Remus feeling, too.

"Remus…" Sirius muttered, slowly opened his eyes. Remus looked up at him, Sirius appeared quite expressionless, but in a very unnatural way. It was as if he was either in an imaginary maze or having some internal debate. "If…I am just saying if…I ever get back together with Rainzzi, what would you do?"

Remus gaped at him for a second but quickly recovered, "I would wish you all the best."

"For real?"

"For real," said Remus very sincerely, and when they stared at each other, the uncomfortable atmosphere vanished. Sirius could feel a flow of warmth that reminded him of their fraternization.

"Well, I think Rainzzi's awake," Remus said slowly after a thumping sound from upstairs, "I am supposed to be on duty to safe guard Trelawney today. But…I don't feel like doing it now. Perhaps we can interchanged, Sirius?"

Sirius nodded. "I'll take Harry with me back to the Lyttelton Mansion," Remus was saying when he got up and smooth the front of his shabby cloak.

"Take good care of Rainzzi, Sirius," Remus whispered as he walked around the table.

Sirius gazed up at Remus, also getting up, and walked straight to him. He looked at Remus intensely for a little more and saw nothing other than loyalty. Sirius pulled Remus into a one-arm hug awkwardly and left without saying any more thing.

…

"Shit," Rainzzi murmured under her breath, she shouldn't be so clumsy as to have accidentally bumped into door when she turned. Assuming Remus or Sirius had heard of it, she strode across the room and lay in the bed again as her mind raced back to the conversation she had just overheard.

_We never started, because Rainzzi was wishing that her nominal relationship with Brice could prevent her from being further demoted. _That's true, Rainzzi thought, feeling a bit resentful of herself. That's what she had always done with her relationship with Brice- seeking advantages from it. But what's wrong with it? Both of them made it clear at the very beginning that the relationship was only for convenience and mutual benefits. She wasn't really gaining at the expense of Brice, so what's wrong with that?

_In fact, she had never given a shit when it came to me_. Listening to the imagined voice of Remus saying it miserably again was far worse than hearing it for the first time, but Rainzzi almost laughed out loud in sarcasm. The silent laughers died in her head died immediately as it echoed. _She had never given a shit when it came to me_…_She had never given a shit when it came to me_…_She had never given a shit when it came to me_…

Where did that guilty feeling come from? Rainzzi thought difficultly as she dug deeper into the pillow, attempting to empty her mind. But that wouldn't do. Even when her mind was devoid of Remus, there were still about one thousand other problems. Her lids felt extremely heavy when she suddenly remembered she was supposed to be at a dinner with the Fudges at the very same night. And dinners with the Fudges were always impossible to evade from. But she just wanted to stay there in the comfortable bed and enjoyed some peace.

She closed her eyelids and pretended to be asleep when the sound of footsteps grew nearer and nearer. She was sure it was either Sirius or Remus who walked in, but she didn't turn to confirm exactly who it was. She just wished he would leave her alone.

But, quite contrary to what she had wished, whoever he is, he had sat down on the edge of the bed and had clasped his hand on hers. Feeling the boniness of the male's hand, Rainzzi concluded that it must be Sirius Black's. His hand didn't withdraw; instead it found its way to get entangled with hers.

Rainzzi stirred in the bed a bit, but still Sirius wouldn't release her hand. She was completely distressed; being in the company of a ex-convict, not that she thought he would be a threat to her life or something, but it's…it's just that…he was a stranger to her.

Yes, Rainzzi's ex-fiancée Sirius Black was a stranger to her.

Rainzzi raised her lids a centimeter or two to take a peer at Sirius, thinking he wouldn't notice it. But Sirius was staring right back. "Feeling better?" he asked, with a smile clinging to his lips.

Grudgingly, Rainzzi sat up and faced him directly. "Can I have my hand back?"

"Sorry," Sirius muttered, releasing her hand, but he didn't move an inch while Rainzzi's glance darted forth and back from him and the empty chair besides the bed. Whether he got the message or not, Rainzzi didn't know. He was staring at her with so much concentration that he seemed to be paralyzed.

But what he did next had proven that it was quite wrong. He bended forward and ran his fingers in her hair tenderly. Rainzzi leaned back away from him in alarm and swept off his hand abruptly. "Sirius, I appreciate the fact that you lend me a place to rest and all, but I think I deserve some respect and courtesy."

Sirius looked at her difficultly before he stood up. For a moment, it looked as though he was considering leaving, but he turned around again to face her before he ever took a step. "I know you are exhausted. But certain words have to be said and things have to be taken care of. I will try to keep it simple and brief," Sirius said and took a deep breath, "Rainzzi, I think it's about time for us to sort things out."

"Frankly, I don't think anything needs sorting," Rainzzi looked at him in dismay. "There's nothing between us personally. If you want to discuss about the Order, I suggest that you-"

"Nothing?" Sirius interrupted with disbelief, "Yes, maybe there's nothing now. But I think I may be able to help you regain your memory." Rainzzi stared at him, but her face fell when he pointed at a silver basin on the wooden shelf in the corner of the room, "My pensieve may help you."

"Those are your memories, not mine."

"But you spent most of your time with me, Rainzzi," Sirius said calmly. "Those are your happiest years."

"You wouldn't know," said Rainzzi mutinously, "I expect my happy moments were all spent with my family instead of you."

Sirius let out a sardonic laugh, "You know it by heart that you don't like them."

"They are my family and I know I like them," Rainzzi lied instantly, "What's more is that I don't think anyone can know myself better than I do."

Somehow, this seemed to be hilarious for Sirius, for he had just laughed out loud again after looking at her.

"Care to remind me what's so funny?" Rainzzi demanded, feeling a little rattled.

"Rainzzi…" Sirius breathed, "Do you know that about 19 years ago, you've once said the same words to me?"

Rainzzi stared at him blankly.

"But you were wrong, you later admitted it," said Sirius, gazing at her with a little glint in his eyes as he drew closer. "You told me I know you better than you do."

"Know what an impression you give me, Sirius?" Rainzzi snorted loudly, but she didn't recoil from him. "You're just pulling my legs. You keep talking about something that you know that I don't remember and claiming it's all true. Honestly, I'm not sure if I trust a single word you uttered."

Sirius looked a bit turndown. However, he didn't hesitate. "You can validate it if you go into my pensieve. You'll then know all of what I said is true."

"Give this all a rest, please," Rainzzi sighed, and launched herself out of the bed, standing at the other side of the room as Sirius stood up, too. "I have had enough of this bullshit. And I think I have made it clear to you that we are no longer fiancée and fiancé. What do you _still _want?"

Sirius looked at her with darkened eyes, "I just want to help. For years, you were so desperate to have your memory back. But when I offer you the chance to regain your memory, you reject it. Does it make any sense?"

"Of course it doesn't, but only because you're wrong when you said I was 'desperate to have my memory back'. I have never been desperate. I am very well without it. And it has been quite some years already, I have started a new life, which I am very satisfied with," Rainzzi said very quickly. "Still, it might be a cool idea to regain some memory, but if the memories of you and me being together are all that I would get, I'd rather prefer not trying." She shot Sirius a brief look, "And, one more thing, don't act as if you know me, okay? The truth is: you don't know me, I don't know you. We don't know each other."

"You may not know me, but I do know you well," Sirius growled emphatically, "They all say that you've changed, Rainzzi. But I personally don't agree with them. You haven't changed for a tiny bit."

"No, I have changed. A great deal. But it may take some time for you to fully discover the difference," Rainzzi paused, but added when he didn't look deterred, "Do you understand? I am not who you thought you know. I don't know what I used to be like with you. Maybe we have been really close. But the important thing is, I am uninterested in you now and I don't care about us anymore. I will never again. And that's the point, it will never work anymore between us."

"How can you be so sure of it when you don't even give us a chance?" Sirius asked imperiously, his expression unreadable.

Rainzzi stood there, frozen for a moment. "I don't need to try everything before I conclude I don't like some."

"I won't give up on you," Sirius curtly declared, "I'll never give up on you, Rainzzi. If you would just give it a try…" His hand gestured to the pensieve again.

"Black!" Rainzzi lost her patience finally. "Can you please stop referring the past? Forget about the past. We. Have. No. Past." She paused and glared at him, "And if you're so determined and sure of yourself, why can't you do something which is more relevant to the present than to the past?"

"If it's what you want me to do, fine. I'll do it," Sirius said firmly, his eyes almost sparkling with firmness. "I'll start chasing after you again."

"Whatever you like," Rainzzi sighed, it was obvious that they couldn't communicate. She picked up her cloak and put it on, "Because, basically, either way, I won't fall for you. You'll just be wasting your time if you insist."

She strode to the door of the spacious room, eager to get away from Sirius. But Sirius grabbed her hand at the last moment, willing her to look at him in the face. When she did, Rainzzi was instantaneously shocked by the strange satisfaction glowing on his face. "Rainzzi, do you know that you had told me you wouldn't fall for me, just like what you've just said, before we started going out?"

"The history is always repeating itself," Sirius continued. "I'm sure I'll have you again by my side in no time."

"Rubbish," Rainzzi mumbled, all the while flinging Sirius' hand off. She practically jogged to the door. _Complete non-sense, bullshit, crap, _she shook her head helplessly. Nothing would happen again between Sirius and herself. But she couldn't help wondering, if she was so sure about not falling for Sirius, why had she got this really ominous feeling when she walked out of his bedroom?

* * *

A/N: Please review. Things are going to lighten up a bit between Sirius and Rainzzi! Rainzzi will talk to her young brother Sunny in the next chapter.

P.S. I can't believe it. Someone said the Sirius that JK created has gray eyes! NO! Sirius has got to have blue eyes!


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: As usual, the Rainzzi here is not the same as the one in Nobody's Home._

–––––––––––––––––––––––––**  
****Chapter 10**** – The First 'Date'  
**–––––––––––––––––––––––––

Rainzzi kicked the door close, inwardly cursing her inexorable misfortune. First came Lestrange. Second came the Fudges.

Having excused herself from the dinner her family had with the Fudges, she came home at mid-evening only to discover that the Fudges were still there. But curiously, her attendance seemed to be very unwelcome, for they had stopped their conversation as the same instant as she had stepped into the house, and did not resume it until she had gone upstairs.

She tossed her cloak to a far corner moodily. As much as she hated to admit, the two families appeared to be in a much closer bound, and they had recently developed the habit of meeting surreptitiously. Not that the meetings between the current Minister and the ex-Minister should by any means suspected, but Rainzzi was rather dazed by their rare secretiveness since the Delanuits and the Fudges used to be that most high-profile families in the Wizarding World. She sat on the edge of her bed, guessing hard what it was that they kept from her. Basically it could be anything, the two families were probably figuring a way to help the Fudges to bring back old popularity, but she failed to arrive at a satisfactory reason for their sudden denial of her.

As an afterthought, Rainzzi strode soundlessly to the nearest wall and glued her ear to it. She could hardly make out what they were discussing downstairs.

"…comes as a surprise to everybody and diverts the attention from…"

"…probably promotes optimism throughout the…"

Suddenly, the distant voices were blocked by the new occurrence of the sound of footsteps which were consistently growing louder and louder. A moment later, the door to Rainzzi's room snapped open with a little crack. She quickly stood up from her spot when there came the most disgusting figure through the opened doorway. Brice Fudge entered her room uninvited with what like a patronizing gesture.

"I'd appreciate it if you knocked before entering my room uninvited," Rainzzi said snappishly. Brice looked at her with raised eyebrows, and then a knowing smile crept into his face. "Perhaps it's true, especially when you have been eavesdropping."

Rainzzi watched it when Brice closed the door. And thank god, he didn't come any closer to her. "What were you lots talking downstairs?"

"If you were so desperate to know, why didn't you come back earlier?" he said lazily, leaning on her wardrobe, "Perhaps…you have been too busy screwing your ex-fiancé?"

"Were you discussing ways to win creditability for your dear father?" she scowled, ignoring his last question.

"Not merely that," he replied bluntly, and paused. "You don't seriously consider your family as one so altruistic, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, yes, your mother has been my father's backseat driver, it's not like she would have been so concerned if it's something as pure and simple as what you suggested, right?" Brice stopped dramatically and enjoyed Rainzzi's eagerness for a few seconds before he started talking again, "Anyway, I am afraid I have to keep it from you in the meantime as to avoid spoiling the fun. But I'll tell you one thing: a boost for optimism is all we need."

Rainzzi stared at him for a moment, slowly digesting his vague words. A boost for optimism? Did the two families really think they can seek a boost for optimism…at the reappearance of Voldemort-the darkest ever wizard that existed? That just didn't make any sense. She was about to ask what the hell he was talking about, but she halted before the words slipped from her mouth. Instead, Rainzzi shrugged, she knew that he was just making a fuss and leading her on, trying to make her plead for revelation, but she was so not going to satisfy him. "Whatever. By the way, what're you doing here?"

"Your parents asked me to stay for the night," said Brice blithely.

"Not surprising news," Rainzzi said, looking nonchalant, "You know what to do." It was an agreed rule between Rainzzi and Brice that when the parents of either of them asked the other to stay at their house for the night, he/she would play along with it but secretly spend the night elsewhere and return at breakfast time to make an appearance.

Rainzzi waited for the moment when he would Disapparate to god-knew-where and she would have the room to herself again, however he didn't. "I don't care if you ended up in bed with a million women, as long as you return tomorrow morning by breakfast time." Rainzzi's voice was filled with sarcasm but she didn't bother to oust it.

"That's what I _thought_ I was going to do," he said lightheartedly, "but then, I think I may just stay." Brice grinned shamelessly as Rainzzi squinted at him with a spasm of dismay. If there was one thing that he always achieved with distinction, it's getting on her nerves.

He strolled to her bed and sprawled on it comfortably with closed eyes as though he had been there for his whole life. Rainzzi stared at him suspiciously, narrowing her eyes until they were nothing more than two thin lines. Something in his uncharacteristic manners told her he was up to something, but she couldn't quite specify what.

"Come on," Rainzzi sighed calmly, making her way to him, "Just get your arse out of my bed and spend your long night in the sea of whores."

Brice still had his eyelids clamped together and his expression was so impassive that it was difficult to judge whether he had heard her or not. "Wake up, Brice!" she said as she nudged his legs a little harder than she could control. "Brice!" she practically shouted in his face as she grabbed his collar and tried to pull him up from her bed. All of a sudden, Brice snapped open his eyes and glared with such a dazzling glint in his eyes that she thought he was going to slap her.

But he didn't. He did something much worse.

With a swift manoeuvre, he swept her onto the bed next to him and rolled over on top of her. He propped himself up a bit from her with his arm and stared at her firmly with nothing but lust and greed. "Woman, you're too ironic," he said quietly.

"Piss off before I make you to!" she warned breathlessly as she struggled to free herself from under him. She felt a shiver run through her vein as he brought his face closer.

"But I happen to like ironic women." Rainzzi flinched slightly as his rough hand stroked its way up from her shoulder to her cheek. "You're also beautiful, Rainzzi," he whispered in her ear.

"Stop fucking around, Fudge!" she hissed crisply through gritted teeth as she shifted as far away from him as his weight allowed.

"Tuh, tuh…Rainzzi…Can you not see that I am not fucking around?" Brice laughed savagely in exhilaration as his eyes darted down to her chest and back again. His hand stuck into her shirt and landed on her stomach, slowly making its way up. "I am just going to fuck you," he breathed into her face as he leaned further down. But a second later, he stopped as he could feel the tip of a wand pointing his throat.

"Try me," Rainzzi said tranquilly and glared down at his hand, "And give me a reason to practice the _Avada__ Kedavra_."

"You certainly know how to sink the spirit and mar the pleasure, but I hope you're not regarding yourself more aristocratic than everyone," Brice growled ferociously, playing for time as he unwillingly backed away from her and held his hands up innocently. "What does Sirius Black offer you to have you in bed, Rainzzi?"

Feeling a pang of outrage towards him, Rainzzi didn't make any verbal response, but her contemptuous expression was far enough to enunciate her outright loathe and defiance of him. The atmosphere has disintegrated. They fixed each other with an intense and appraising glare.

"Come on, Rainzzi, you're a clever person," Brice prompted, in a mature voice and a supercilious way in order to redeem himself; his excitement had obviously ebbed away. "We've been dating for no less than 5 years. I know you would never contribute if you didn't expect something more fruitful in return. Tell me, what is it that Black offers you?"

"That – will be for you to wonder," said Rainzzi in a high-pitched and poisonously sweet voice which was so unlike hers that she felt a chill in spite of herself. But Brice didn't. He licked his lips and inclined his head ever so slightly, but its effect was significant in the dim-light. It was no longer possible to meet his glances, when she searched for his orbits; she was met with a pair of glints. Glints not of anger but self-confidence.

"Do you really think you can get away from my claws forever?" he whispered dolefully, pretended to be perplexed. His face crinkled into a hideous smile, "Maybe you do. But what you don't know is that you're unconsciously heading towards my cage. That's the way it goes."

"So I have been warned," Rainzzi said slowly and clearly. She gave a shrill laugh of cynicism, but her sophisticated countenance was of no humor and fakeness.

"You know, Rainzzi, I await the moment when I can actually _fuck you_," Brice murmured as he bent down and grabbed her shoulder. She could feel his breath on her face, but she didn't recede, as she considered it as an action of cowardice. "Which is…when hell freezes over," she muttered in the same seductive tone in his ear.

She sensed a twitch deep in her cheek when he kissed it. "Think of it again, I guess I am going," Brice said flippantly as he straightened up. He smiled at her farcically; it was as though the peculiar chat had never taken place. "I'll return at breakfast time," he added as he dusted off the front of his cloak. A moment later, he disappeared.

The few seconds after his departure was filled with total dumbness when Rainzzi gazed unseeingly into space. _There's no need to be pretentious anymore,_ a voice materialised in the pool of her mind. She lifted her eyelids for a centimeter. When she was gradually convinced that no one's around, she fetched a book nearby and threw it feverishly at where he had earlier stood. A few more of her possessions were hurled through the silent air before she lay down on her back, her rib-cage mounting and dismounting rapidly.

With a mingled swell of indignation and embarrassment, she thought her eyes were growing hot with suppressed tears. And she could also sense her cheek rising in temperature and probably reddening too. She fought back the blinding tears.

Why she was so desperate to cry she didn't comprehend, but she knew perfectly the reason she felt so miserable wasn't really Brice. Neither was it merely because of his words, but the many inextricable question marks that Brice's insult had stirred a ring of.

"_I know you would never contribute if you didn't expect something more fruitful in return,_" Brice had said. Indeed, she knew he was right. She had no intentions whatsoever to deny it nor did she ever want to excuse herself. Nevertheless, knowing it was one thing, hearing it straightly from someone's mouth was another. Still, she had been able to justify herself when she heard Remus saying she had never given a shit when it came to him. But it sounded so much worse when it came from Brice Fudge's mouth, a man whom she prided herself that she had every reason to despise, but then she had been speechless when he uttered it. Because he was right. She knew he was right and she couldn't retort.

An egoist. That's what she was.

In the years after her memory had been mortified, when people started to call her 'the fiancée of the murderer', by hook or by crook had been the policy she adapted for her obsessions with power and recognition. She was all-in in her work, she didn't care if her ambition was achieved with hypocritical show of friendship, she didn't care if people black-mouthed her behind her back, she didn't even care if it was against the grain. She became only mindful of the outcome but not the process. Ultimately she had become obsessed with vanity, as Remus had once bawled her out.

She was both an egoist and a sufferer of vanity, but she was happy with the fact if she might say so. Well, perhaps not now. At least she had once been happy with it…until she woke up one day and abruptly discovered that she had got all she wanted and that she had run out of desire.

Since then, she had been experiencing early mid-life crises from time to time. Every time she persuaded herself to give it all up and decided to resign the very next day and began traveling abroad, but when every tomorrow arrived, she only found herself setting a higher target and then reaching it again.

She had everything. She had very high income, which she didn't need; it's not like she needed to work in order to bring home the bacon. She had gained the respect of the Wizarding community; which she didn't truly appreciate; as it's brought by her relationship with Fudge instead of her achievement in her Auror career. She had power, which in such a realistic world meant none other then the authority to exploit the benefits of the inferiors. She had… In fact, that's all she had.

She had everything that she thought she wanted, but she had nothing that she earnestly desired. Which didn't make sense; she thought she was on the edge of having a mental collapse.

Rainzzi opened her eyes again, staring around for inspiration of what she lacked. She kept rolling her eyes. They traveled to every bit of the room, what would a woman in early thirties want, besides money, flame and power?

Her eyes landed on the mirror on her bedside table; there she founded what she lacked. She almost laughed out teasingly as she scrutinized her reflection in the mirror. Youth. The fogs were hastily all cleared; it's youth that she wanted.

She didn't want to stay young for the whole life; she just wanted to have the experience of being young. People might say she was pretty idiotic for wanting such an ambiguous substance. It's easy for them to comment, they wouldn't cherish it as they all had it by nature. They wouldn't know how valuable yet unattainable youth was to some people.

No one knew the feeling of having the memory all cleared except those who had actually suffered from it. It was like being born again; however it was nothing like renaissance. You were born again at the age you were when you woke up from an eternal sleep, everybody was just too willing to fill you in what you had forgotten but they expected you to act your age. For instance, they told you what your name was but didn't teach you how to spell it.

She could still remember the hopelessness and apprehension when the nurse informed her that the name should spell as 'Rainzzi' after she signed a 'Rainsy' on the medical record.

For years, she resigned to the fact that there was just no way for her to retrieve her memory, however, that didn't cease her desperation in wishing a miracle. But then when Sirius Black told her that he might make her dream come true with his pensieve, she rejected it fiercely. She snapped at him that it was because she didn't want to have the memory of their togetherness back. In fact, that's a lie; it had nothing to do with Sirius, he was just the scapegoat on whom she vented out her frustration. Truth was: she was scared. Scared by the woman she was now, that she was afraid that she would just find a younger replica of her dreadful self in Sirius' pensieve.

Rainzzi stuck out a long finger and brought it to the mirror, tracing the doleful image there. No doubt she was still very pretty, but she sort of looked exhausted and pale. And the vivid gleams that she believed had once glowed in her blue eyes were lost ever since the minute she was back at square one.

The longer she stared at her own reflection, the more she hated herself. On an impulse, she violently swept all the contents on the bedside table to the carpeted floor. The mirror shattered on the floor with a small clatter. She stared unseeingly into space again with her nail dug deeply into a pillow corner; she was tired. She felt painfully tired as awkwardly the pain of the bruises Lestrange made on her came back, and she just wanted to rest in peace, to sleep forever and ever.

…………………

Pulling the Auror cloak off her, Rainzzi walked into the Leaky Cauldron alone. She had never really liked the place, but tonight she had no alternatives; tired of being recognised or tracked, it had become more or less a pattern for her to keep going to different bars. And although the Leaky Cauldron was hardly an ideal place for an after dinner drink, as she stepped deeper into the crowded and noisy environment, she found herself exceptionally comfortably. People scattered around the place were too busy to notice the additional existence of her.

"Can I help you, madam?" the young bartender asked courteously as she approached.

"A cocktail, please," said Rainzzi, settling on a stool around the bar. "Thanks," she said as the bartender returned almost immediately with a tiny goblet of colourfully-layered alcohol.

For a few minutes, she sat there isolated, sipping the cocktail, and tried to relax. Leaning on the bar table and staring into space unseeingly, her mind drifted off again to the question that had bothered her for quite some time now. Always the same question: was it worth it to join the Order? Having joined the Order for just a month, she already found her determination falter. Auror work at day, guarding Trelawney and Order business at night, and spying on the Fudges and Ministry whenever need be, the fatigue from double role-playing was fast in catching up and she wondered how long could she survive.

_Was it worth it to join the Order? _she asked herself in a mental note again. But in fact, she had already worked out the answer long ago. Joining the Order had gained her nothing, nothing at all, but burden. However, although she knew perfectly service to Dumbledore was never like eternal service to Voldemort and that she might be able to back out if she insisted, she had no desire to back out. Somehow, she felt proud to be part of the Order, as she found the participation make her less passionless. It was strange, because she used to pride herself for being pragmatic, and it was on the verge of irritating her. _At least, _she thought dully, _you will have an irrefutable answer when the bastard of Fudge says you never contribute without expecting something more fruitful in return. _It nearly brought a sneer to her face to imagine Brice's ugly face twitching if she told him she was in fact on Dumbledore's side, spying on his family and gathering ammunition against Cornelius Fudge's government if she had the chance. If only she could tell Brice…

Scowling, Rainzzi refocused on the cocktail before her as a bunch of middle-aged women seated around the small table behind her broke out laughing at some off-colour joke or another. She finished the remaining alcohol in one single gulp, and beckoned the bartender for a mug of Firewhisky. Shifting slightly on the stool, she could feel a pair of eyes staring at her somewhere from a dark corner, the notion of being peeking at instantaneously put her on alert.

When the bartender handed her the Firewhisky, Rainzzi grasped the chance. As though adjusting her posture, she squinted sideway casually. It was a man who looked in his late thirties, surrounded by men roughly of the same age, probably having a bachelor union. Her eyes met his bold ones for a split second before she returned to her drink apathetically. _Woman hunter._

No doubt, the man walked to the bar within a minute, clutching his own mug of whatever it was. "Hi," the man said brightly, leaning his back on the bar, facing her. Though only average-looking, Rainzzi noticed he had a nice smile with his dazzling teeth.

"Isaac Gloucester," he said as she didn't acknowledge him, holding out his hand. "I work in the Gringotts Bank."

Rainzzi looked anything but impressed. "Pleasure," she said shortly as she shook his hand.

"You know, I was wondering if a young beautiful lady like you would possibly like to join me and my friends over there?" the man pressed, clearly he thought she was just pretending to be cool. "We're all from the Bank."

She eyed him politely but shook her head, "Thanks for the invitation, but I'd prefer staying here."

Isaac Gloucester shrugged. He settled on the stool besides her without asking for approval. "Perhaps we can talk alone then."

Frowning, she was about to grab the mug and walk away herself when a deep voice appeared on her other side. "I am sorry I'm late."

Rainzzi looked up, half expecting the voice to belong to Gloucester's acquaintance instead of hers, a faint hint of mingled annoyance and surprise appeared just above her eyes as it turned out to be Sirius Black's. Turning slightly, she got a better glimpse of him. For the first time since she had met him in the Department of Mysteries, he looked recognisable as the best man in the photo which had been stuck on Kingsley's notice-board in his cubicle until his innocence was officially vindicated. Something was different about him, too, but Rainzzi wasn't sure what. But another glimpse of him told her the answer, instead of looking his usual conceited self, he was rather modest at the moment.

"I'd appreciate it if you can excuse us," said Sirius to Gloucester. Rainzzi grimaced, _as though we've promised to meet each other here. _But she didn't say anything, squinting from Gloucester to Sirius and took a sip of the Firewhisky; she had difficulty deciding who would be more intolerable.

From the side of her eyes, Rainzzi could see Gloucester give Sirius a despising once-over quickly, opening his mouth to say something, but he seemed to have a second thought as he could bridge the Azkaban ex-convict to the man standing in front of him. He gave a quiet nod and sipped his drink, holding the mug with both hands.

With a gentle push on the back, Sirius ushered Rainzzi away from the bar, indicating a vacant table at a corner diagonally across the one occupied by the bankers.

"How do you know I am here?" she asked as they made their way through the crowd to the back of the Leaky Cauldron, not looking at him.

"Intuition," he said in a plain voice, disregarding the looks other drinkers shot him. "I've been wanting a private word with you."

"If this is one of _those_ rubbish talk again, you can –"

"No, it isn't," Sirius cut her words neatly, "I just want to apologise."

Rainzzi halted, squinting over her shoulder suspiciously. She had always got the impression that Sirius Black had never apologised in his life. "What for?"

Sirius shrugged, "I realise I might have appeared too forceful the other day."

"Nice observation," said Rainzzi coolly as they sat down on opposite sides of the table.

"So, sorry if I irritated you that day," he said sincerely, "but in my own defence, I just wanted to reinforce my point, I didn't intend to bring you any hard feeling."

"That's OK," she said distractedly, as Isaac Gloucester was still glancing over from the bar. "You know, I haven't been losing sleep over it."

Sirius nodded mildly. "But you should know that I am still not giving up on you."

Rainzzi pouted, but she was fine with it as long as he managed to keep his temper in check. "Well, I can't restrain you from wasting your time."

"Nice observation, too," Sirius grinned, picking up the yellowing menu. "So are we back on speaking terms?"

"I assume we are."

"So, fancy some snacks while we could possibly have a nice chat?"

Rainzzi shrugged as Sirius glanced up, and a beaming waiter scurried forward.

At the beginning, the talk was awkward. They talked only occasionally, with Sirius doing most the talking and Rainzzi answering only when necessary, touching on boring subjects such as current affairs, politics, public speculations, and etc. But as the night dragged on, their chat moved on to some more personal issues. She'd thought Sirius would be all serious and subjective and arrogant, but really, he was not, or if he was, he didn't show it. And curiously, unlike her other admirers (she had quite a few before she started dating Fudge), Sirius was unpretentious in the strictest sense, he was neither boastful of himself nor did he try to flatter her and he was intellectual in giving his own comments, and she found it quite comfortable.

Once or twice in their conversation, Harry Potter was brought up, and she had caught a glimpse of paternal pride in Sirius' eyes which completely shattered the reckless impression he tended to give her. However, above all, the greatest thing was that, intentionally or not, Sirius had not once mention anything related to their relationship in the past throughout the whole evening. She didn't know if he had sensed that the taboo would inevitably give rise to uneasy feelings, but either way, she felt easier to talk to him with the topic left untouched.

A waiter came and cleared away the dishes, and brought them each a cup of coffee. Rainzzi sat back in the chair, smirking as Sirius told her yet another sarcastic joke about Severus Snape.

"I've to go," said Rainzzi at last.

Sirius frowned at the grandfather clock hung on the wall behind the counter. "Perhaps we can have another drink some time later this week?"

Rainzzi shook her head with a crafty smile, "I don't usually make a date beforehand. I am used to going anywhere on the spur of the moment." She stood up and gestured to leave, but he grabbed her arm.

"You know, there's something that I've yet to tell you." Sirius paused, staring at her more intently than he'd ever had, "If you ever need someone to talk to or something, Rainzzi, find me. I'll always be your last resort."

Rainzzi didn't know if she just did it to avoid any more hinder of her departure, or if she did it because she was too exhausted to think of some ironic answer, all she knew was that she gave a small nod when she walked past him.

* * *

**_A/N: PLEASE REVIEW …_**_before you curse me for the existence of Brice!_


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Just to remind you guys, in case you can't remember what is written in chapter 5, Rainzzi is very close to Neville as she is sympathetic to the similar mishap that Alice and Frank Longbottom suffer_.

* * *

**Chapter 11 **

Rainzzi was working in her cubicle when a round of wolf-whistles and cat-calls broke out in the Auror Department. She looked up irritatedly and soon understood what the fuss was about. Tonks was walking in…with a bunch of flowers in her arms. A gorgeously decorated bunch of lavender and white roses so gigantic that she could hardly see where she was heading.

"Hey, Tonks," Williamson called from his cubicle, "Who is so fortunate to be infatuated with you?"

Rainzzi sniggered and chimed in, "Yea, is it from an admirer?"

"How do I know if you don't?" Tonks answered, smirking back. Rainzzi looked at her in puzzlement and focused on her project again, shrugging, but she was prevented from doing so when Tonks lay the flowers, practically occupying the whole of her desk.

"What are –?"

"This is for you, Rainzzi," Tonks whispered in a suggestive tone, then winked at her confidentially, "Sirius sent it."

Rainzzi could feel all the colours drained away from her face.

* * *

_Dear Rainzzi, _

_Hey, there. You didn't come to the Order meeting again yesterday, what is it this time, Delanuit? Another voluntary Azkaban interrogation, huh?_

_Anyway, there's something I have got to ask you. It's Harry's birthday today. Remus and I are going to organize a birthday party for him. Do you think you can make it at __7:00 p.m.__ at my place?_

_Love__, Sirius_

_

* * *

_

_Black, _

_Familial commitment.__  
-No can do. I promised to have dinner with the Longbottoms._

_R.D._

* * *

Rainzzi was gazing into space, with a little smile tugging unconsciously on the corner of her mouth.

Although it had just been two weeks since they had met in the Leaky Cauldron, there couldn't be more alterations between them. As a start, Sirius had started sending her letters on a regular basis (with a little exception when Sirius learnt that Rainzzi had volunteered for an Azkaban visit and was infuriated) and she would occasionally reply them, depending on her current mood. They talked little when they met each other face-to-face in meetings, but always with special importance and significance. For them, it was a big advancement, but members of the Order had yet to discover it.

In fact, surreptitiously Rainzzi had half expected Sirius would insist that she should come to Harry's birthday party, but he didn't even make a reply. _It's not like you mind, woman,_ Rainzzi reminded herself idly.

She was currently seated in the crowded kitchen of the Longbottom's house where all the other attendants were either Neville's friends or relations. She wouldn't have even come if Neville hadn't invited her personally, as one could guess that a dinner with the Longbottom family, however informal it might be, wouldn't be enjoyable; Neville's relatives are all staggering blows, serene and serious. And among the Longbottoms, Algie and Enid, Neville's great uncle and great aunt, looked the most acrimonious. There was a reason or two why Neville was afraid of them so deeply, Rainzzi concluded as they continued their monotonous lecture, commenting on how bad their great nephew was doing at school.

"When will the O.W.L.s results arrive, Nev?" Uncle Algie was asking, through his mouthful of mashed potato.

Rainzzi could feel Neville, who was sitting besides her, tensed and stiffened up. He nearly dropped his fork and knife on the table. "In early August…I think…"

"Wish the day will never come, huh?" Aunt Enid suggested harshly, making a laugh that was only joined by her husband. Mrs. Longbottom looked at them sharply, silencing them with a stern think-before-you-speak look. But she didn't do anything to redeem her grandson. Rainzzi felt a surge of outrage on Neville's behalf.

"I am sure Neville has done very well in the O.W.L.s," Rainzzi chimed in, nodding her head appreciatively with a kind smile at Neville who then reddened slightly, "He has been doing consistently better last year. And I won't be surprised if he gets an 'O' in Herbology."

Algie and Enid interchanged a doubtful glance but they decided to leave the topic mercifully at that since it was Neville's birthday afterall.

"Don't worry, Neville. I am sure you did very well in Herbology and I know you've tried your best in all other subjects," Rainzzi added to Neville in a small voice, as he looked deflated by nervousness.

Neville shook his head miserably, "I've always flunked in Potions. And Snape assured me I'll never make it to N.E.W.T. level."

Rainzzi took a glimpse at him, feeling sympathetic and laden. She knew that the only reason he was so fascinated by becoming a healer was that he wanted to invent a cure for his parents one day. But unfortunately such a job required good grades in both Herbology and Potions, that's why he had been so mindful of the Potions grades although he hated the master so much.

Rainzzi wanted to say something to retrieve his self-esteem and confidence, but she found no opportunity as the dinner was interrupted by an unexpected knock on the door. Everybody turned to look at it curiously, it wasn't everyday that they got a nighttime visitant. One of Neville's cousins had gestured to open the door and the chemistry of the party changed immediately as the shadowed figure stepped into the light.

It was Sirius Black. He seemed to have the habit of walking into others uninvited and enjoy the way his arrival surprised everyone.

Mrs. Longbottom stood up and strode quickly to meet her guest. "It's my pleasure to have you here, Sirius." She held out her hand which Sirius shook.

"The pleasure is mine," said Sirius courteously as the old lady led him into the kitchen, much to the fright of every other Longbottom. Neville's cousin receded quickly as Sirius bypassed her, but Rainzzi couldn't help noticing the little girl had put on an admiring look after she dared a second look at him.

"Happy birthday, Neville," Sirius said pleasantly as he drew nearer to the dining table. His face was dignified and majestic, but the way his eyes searched over the table betrayed the fact that he didn't even know who Neville was. Rainzzi jerked her head to her right meaningfully. Having caught her hint, Sirius casually handed Neville a beautifully wrapped gift.

"Thank…thanks," mumbled Neville, staring perplexedly at the ex-convict. He received his gift very cautiously

"Please take a seat, Sirius," Mrs. Longbottom requested politely.

"In fact…" Sirius hesitated, appearing to be thinking hard. However, Rainzzi could swear she had captured an eclipse of a wink in his face, and she soon understood the meaning behind. "I am supposed to be on a date with Rainzzi tonight."

Following his answer was a gawking speechlessness as Rainzzi stared at him in bizarre fury, as if trying to telegraph 'What the hell are you talking about?' All the Longbottoms looked back and forth from Sirius and Rainzzi and exchanged inquiring glances among themselves. But Mrs. Longbottom nodded with a knowing smile.

"Sirius you have a luxurious sense of humor," Rainzzi said urgently, ready to vindicate; nonetheless she didn't seem to have convinced anyone. Sirius stared at her as if she was the one being absurd.

"Do you think you can excuse us, Mrs. Longbottom?" he turned to the aged hostess, his voice deep yet mischievous.

"Sure."

As Rainzzi glanced around, she found that everyone was staring at her like they were anticipating her departure in no time; Sirius shot her a victorious grin secretly as he pulled her up from her seat. Rainzzi had no choice but to leave. She bid the Longbottoms an enjoyable night and departed with Sirius into the black of night.

"So," Sirius broke the ice when they were both outsides; he then realized that he was still holding her arm. The feel of her skin underneath his fingers was intoxicating. He didn't ever want to let go…and she didn't swung his hand off immediately like he half dreaded, but Rainzzi gave him a discontented pout.

"Just because it's your godson's birthday party doesn't mean that you can force me anywhere you wish. And it is also Neville's birthday, whom I treat more or less like my little brother while I am not really acquainted with Harry. And –" she glared at him. "A date, honestly! You could have made some better excuses."

"I happen to like the sound of it," replied Sirius, his index finger drawing random maps on her arm. He peeked at her from the corners of his eyes, but he spoke with a cool voice, "Like the flowers I sent you today?"

Rainzzi looked up at him, she had an expression of someone being caught offhanded. She looked away when he met his eyes, "I don't like flowers."

Sirius sniffed besides her, "Yes? But you smell of lavender."

"Perfume," Rainzzi muttered and shifted uncomfortably, "Anyway, how are we going?"

"Where?" Sirius raised his brows heedlessly, as if he had no idea whatsoever of what she was talking about. If Rainzzi didn't know better, she would have been fooled that he was genuinely intending to take her out on a one-on-one date.

"To your home," said Rainzzi, her temper a little instigated by his impudence that she swept Sirius' hand off hers.

"Uh-yes, my home of course," Sirius said, somehow deflated. "We are going on foot."

"What?"

"It is in a muggle-inherited area, you can't apparate there, can you?" Sirius analyzed slowly, "And I don't fancy traveling by the Knight Bus. Besides, it takes longer to walk."

Rainzzi shrugged, her annoyance was quickly replaced by pure amusement.

"Come on," said Sirius carelessly, tugging on her sleeve to direct her to the adjacent street.

Once or twice in the journey, Sirius' hand brushed against hers, but her hand remained in place very comfortably. In fact, Rainzzi had kind of kept swinging her hands obliviously on purpose and sweeping pass his.

Rainzzi peered at Sirius under her long lashes from time to time, thinking how preposterous it was that things were always turned upside down when one least expected it.

Before Sirius had intruded into her life again, she had been convinced that she would never need a romantic relationship to make her life a complete success. Even when she stayed close with Remus, she regarded it as an enhancer instead of an essence. But in these previous weeks, she found herself doing a lot more nonsense musing. She would just stare at the flowers with her chin on her palms and daydream, about nothing in particular. But it alarmed her that the last time she mused, she actually imagined what might have happened to Sirius and her if only he had been given the justice he deserved and that she had not been ambushed.

Zany, wasn't it? Rainzzi demanded to herself resentfully. She had sworn just the other day that she would never fall for him, but there she was, feeling a bit exhilarated at the sight of him. And she suspected…if he hadn't been her ex-fiancé already and that she hadn't always claimed so outspokenly that she would never reunite with him, she might have surrendered to him for long.

Rainzzi peeked at him more boldly, in search for an answer for the abrupt changes in her attitude towards him. No doubt he was hypnotizing and exquisitely good-looking, but she was sure it was more than meeting the eyes.

Instead, she thought the sudden changes might be attributed to his heedlessness, his eloquence, his arrogance and the reticence when he felt like it. Not that those qualities were good things, but she found herself adoring the explicitness in his character, since it was approximately something she lacked.

"We're nearly there," Sirius' voice brought her back from her silent musings. Rainzzi looked at the surrounding very curiously; the street where Sirius' house was located at looked friendly enough. It was a muggle-inherited area where everything looked quiet and peaceful, and standing in a territory like this would probably make one forget the forthcoming of the presumable decade of wars and destructiveness in another world.

Rainzzi walked side by side with Sirius into the pathway that led to his house, she glanced still more nosily around. A luxurious car was pulling up in the next neighbourhood; there came a tall and bony woman and a gigantic and neckless man, closely followed by an equally tremendous boy in his late adolescence. The woman was the first to have caught Rainzzi staring at them. She gawked at her for a moment, appearing terrified. As soon as she had recovered, she turned her back to Rainzzi, shifting ever so slightly to block her family's access to Rainzzi and ushered them insides.

"The Dursleys are Harry's only relations alive," Sirius explained. "Vernon still doesn't know we are living just next door."

"Hmm," Rainzzi nodded nonchalantly, politely making a small response to indicate that she was listening. She didn't realize he had come to a halt until Sirius slipped his arms around the crook of her waist. He pulled her close, obliging her to stop alongside her outsides the door.

"Rainzzi, do you fancy a real date or do you really want to attend Harry's birthday party?" Sirius asked casually, but there was perceptible an undeniable amount of expectations.

Rainzzi crooked her eyebrows in mild surprise, "You can't possibly be absent on Harry's big day, can you?"

Sirius ran a hand over his face then grinned shamefully. "Harry can wait. And he has a birthday every year," Sirius shrugged flippantly, giving her a lop-sided smile that had more of an effect on her than he could beg for.

"And you said you're a responsible godfather…" commented Rainzzi mockingly, feeling lighthearted as Sirius stared intently at her.

"I am a lovable fiancé," Sirius leaned down a bit and whispered in Rainzzi's ear, his hair tickling her cheek. Rainzzi had a mad urge to look at him thoroughly, she wanted to hunt in his face some trace of jokiness, but she repressed it.

"Whatever. Are we going in or something?" Rainzzi hissed with more ostensible vexation than she had intended and looked away uncomfortably.

"Just another moment," Sirius clasped the doorknob firmly, and turned to face her directly."Rainzzi, do you know how long I have waited?"

She wasn't a dumb woman, and she found no reason for pretence here. "Just one month at most."

"Are you kidding?" said Sirius incredulously, "I've waited for like forever."

"Have you?" Rainzzi said mildly, "Perhaps that's the problem, we're holding on to two very different verions of our acquaintance."

Sirius sighed in a bid to calm down but he failed to swallow down his desperation. "I don't care. You promised you will give me a chance if I start chasing you out again. But you've been consciously resisting me. You can't keep denying me like that!"

Rainzzi stayed in her muteness.

"You like the flowers but you deny it. You enjoy dinner with me, I could tell, but you reject the next invitation." Sirius slid his hand onto the back of her neck firmly and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please… just let it be and see what happens…"

Rainzziglanced over at Vernon Dursley's car as though absentmindedly. "I have been unaware of my inconsistency in behaviour until just now…" she said slowly, a bit perplexed. "Maybe I should have given you more justice."

"Yes, you should."

"Okay, I will try." Rainzzi finally locked her eyes with his, a bemused and unsure smile on her face, but the expression was softened and delicate. "But no promise made," she added hastily. "So, can we go in now?"

"Of course," Sirius said, turning on the doorknob.

At the second he turned his back to her, the feeling of bemusement and uncertainty immediately engulfed Rainzzi again. She didn't know whether the decision she had just made was right or not. But as she walked into the Lyttelton Mansion on Sirius' tail into the welcoming arms of their fellow Order members, she couldn't help justifying what Sirius had once said, as sardonically she found herself enjoying the cheerful atmosphere and the company of the crowd, although she had always thought she hated parties. Maybe she really didn't know herself as thoroughly as she had thought. Plus, she was starting to believe in the existence of miracles.

……………………

Rainzzi looked over her shoulder; Sirius was too busy helping Harry to unpack the birthday gifts to notice her disappearance. With a little hesitation, she stepped into the backyard of the Mansion gingerly. There, sitting on the dry grass, was a figure she was only too familiar of. He was not facing her, but one could guess that he was part musing and part gazing unseeingly into space.

Rainzzi approached him cautiously, all the while thinking of something interesting to break the ice. However, all she could manage was, "Remus…" She laid her hand comfortably on his shoulder, passionately willed him to turn over and meet her glance.

"Rainzzi," Remus acknowledged, but he didn't swivel around. Rainzzi grasped the goblet more steadily in her hands and settled down besides him. She handed him the Firewhisky which he instantly took. "Beautiful night, huh?" he said conversationally, sipping all of the Firewhisky in one gulp.

"Yea…" Rainzzi nodded flatteringly, budging slightly to seek a more comfortable posture. "Remus, what've you been doing out here?" she added a second later.

Remus turned finally and stared at her. As the warm moonlight shone on his dirty blond hair, a few strands of grey were revealed and somehow the lines on his forehead seemed to be more announced than ever. "Thinking," he turned back to face the satiating moon.

"Of what?" Rainzzi asked softly. Part of her was curious, but another part of her wished that she hadn't asked, as she was not sure if she liked where the conversation was leading to.

"Of the future," replied Remus, his voice earnest yet sober. Color was already rising in his cheek, as a result of the consumption of alcohol. "Rainzzi, have you ever thought about the future?"

"Well, it isn't like I have a variety of choices, is it? I would have nothing to think of besides the future," Rainzzi said, trying her best to keep the irony away from her tone. "Because I am dissatisfied with the present."

"So what do you see?"

"You know what I want to be, Remus. Don't lure me to say it again, it's too embarrassing."

"You still want to be the head of the Auror Department?"

"It's my ultimate goal," Rainzzi said dreamily, her voice suddenly passionate.

"And you desire for nothing other than that in the future?"

"I am not a greedy person."

"What about your love life?" Remus faced her directly again, but his intense stare lasted much longer this time. To be exact, it had never left her face.

"I am not interested in it," Rainzzi hissed self-consciously and couldn't help blushing a bit.

"Think of it now," Remus prompted. "Or else you may end up marrying Brice Fudge."

"Ha-ha! As if!" Rainzzi made a sarcastic laugh at Remus' off-color joke, and insuppressibly threw him a very dirty look. "I can assure you that it would never happen. It's not like Brice will marry me while he can enjoy his eventful bachelor life eternally."

"So…" Remus began hesitantly. He knew he was on dangerous ground, but now that he'd started, he couldn't stop everything pouring out. "What about us? Have you spared any thought about us lately?" He squinted tautly at Rainzzi, eager for an answer. But all he got was an annoyed frown.

"It's a bit off the topic," replied Rainzzi unwillingly.

"It's not." Remus could see her face hardened, as though she didn't know how to package her response.

"You walked out 2 years ago when things might have brightened up," Rainzzi whispered eventually, her expression impenetrable.

"And you didn't protest for once."

"Why should I?" Rainzzi shot Remus a very sharp look, her lips wobbling as if it's taking all her strength to restrain her anger from demonstrating. "You're the one who took the initiative. I didn't understand it at that time, as you didn't seem to be exhausted of me yet. But come to think of it now, Remus, I think I comprehend it." She paused unnecessarily for a few more seconds before she carried on. "You so totally bawled me out all of a sudden. It's all because you have reunited with Sirius, and you were afraid that our being close would offend Sirius. It's clear that you've valued Sirius more than me; why do you have to complain now?"

"Rainzzi…" Remus mumbled sadly, recalling the memory seemed to be extremely painful for him. He leaned closer, and looked at Rainzzi pitiably. All at once, her heart softened and she regretted; she shouldn't have been so harsh. "I didn't just walk out. Yes, my reconciliation with Sirius affected me. I used to hate him. He was no friend of mine, and I never felt guilty falling for you. But that night in the Shrieking Shack changed everything. I knew I can't have it all, you and Sirius. I wanted to know in case Sirius got indignant at me, was it worth it, because I was not going to risk Sirius' friendship for some silly lousiness."

"It wasn't 'some silly lousiness'."

Remus held up a hand to stop her, "Yes, it was just lousiness. Whenever the feeling started to get intense, you backed a little, getting distant for a while until the flame was gone." He paused and murmured, "Not the point…I asked you to seriously choose between Brice Fudge and me before I walked out. I pleaded for an answer, which you failed to give."

"It was a tricky question. To choose between you and Fudge meant a choice between you and career. I liked you more than a friend, but that was a time when my career was at a trough. I was in dire need of a boost." Too ashamed to meet Remus' eyes, Rainzzi gazed up at the sky, "And you know I hate to make absolute decisions."

"But everybody has to."

"I know, that's why you made the final decision for me," Rainzzi whispered carefully, halting every now and then to stop anything impulsive to come out, for Remus' sake. "And I am glad you did." The volume of her voice was ceasing substantially she could hardly hear the end of her sentence.

"Rainzzi…"

Rainzzi mumbled something unrecognizable.

"Tell me, did it have anything to do with what I am?"

Rainzzi didn't look up at him, she did not dare. "No. It's not even a matter of who," she started tentatively, placing her hand on Remus', "It's a matter of whether I want this kind of magic or not. And the answer I tell everyone is no, I neither want it nor do I need it."

Rainzzi caught Remus giving an inaudible sigh. "I used to believe that you don't want it. But looking at how things nurture between you and Sirius recently, I couldn't help…

"Sorry, I don't know what I am fussing about," Remus apologized in his croaky voice, then he gazed up at the sky again. "I mean, I should have understood it. He's brilliant, he's great and he's loyal. He's everything I am not," he added, abasing himself cruelly.

Rainzzi made the mistake of observing Remus' insulted countenance; she could no longer repress herself. She grabbed his broad shoulder and shook it.

"Listen to me. You are Remus Lupin and he is Sirius Black, two completely different entities. You can't make a comparison like that. And promise me you will never demean yourself again…" Remus could feel her breath tickling his skin, and the scent of her hair was spread to him as the breeze howled over. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her closer. "You're a great person. You're just too great that I don't deserve…" at these words, Remus almost laughed out loud, but he didn't, as the atmosphere was so precious that he didn't want it to disintegrate. "You have been the only one that's always there when I am in need of help. I really appreciate and cherish your help; I would have never stood up again if it wasn't you.

"I may have appeared as if I don't care about you, but believe me, I always do. I am just not very skilful in expressing myself," Rainzzi beseeched, carefully avoiding any unnecessary mention of Sirius, which would inevitably bring hard feeling to Remus. She tailed off feebly. For what seemed like hours, neither of them said anything.

They sat side by side, absorbing the whole starry sky that was splashed above them. It was a silent night; as Rainzzi leaned nearer on Remus, they could almost hear the breaths of each other. Although she was still angry at Remus that he had neglected her in the previous two years, she still loved having him as a good friend. A sense of nostalgia attacked her awkwardly; it was almost like the old days had come back. Lord, how much she missed the old days where they would just sit together and chatted about everything.

"How's work?" he would asked her absentmindedly, but she would never give a decent response besides an irritated groan. And then he would start telling her about how much Harry resembled James and Lily, she would mumble something nonsense occasionally and drift off to sleep. She would wake up only to discover that the holidays had already ended and Remus had returned to Hogwarts…

"Hey, Remus," A distant voice called out to the dark, awaking both of them from their seas of mind. Rainzzi and Remus detached instantaneously almost at the same nanosecond, as though they had spiritually agreed upon and turned around. Sirius was sticking his head out from the opened French door, looking curiously out for his friend. His eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Rainzzi accompanying Remus.

Rainzzi launched herself up from the grass crisply and dusted off the front of her cloak. She inclined her head at Remus in farewell, but he didn't respond. She strode to where Sirius was.

"I have to go back. My parents have been keeping an eye on me," Rainzzi hushed in a nonnegotiable manner, she didn't even wait for an answer from Sirius before she made to the entrance door.

For a reticent moment, Sirius stared at Remus with a deadpan expression. _Great, _Remus thought miserably, _I am not only losing Rainzzi, I am going to lose my best friend as well._

"Come on in, Remus. We miss you inside," Sirius gradually said, a grin creeping into his amicable face. Remus wasn't going to lose his best buddy afterall.

* * *

**A/N:** Firstly, thank-yous go to my great reviewers – **kiwiknight****, annoriel, siriuszsecretlover, Nicky Black, padfootedmoony, SiriusLives001 and EmEm** – I LOVE you guys! And please never doubt that I've turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to your opinions or suggestions, I am always rereading your reviews! 

So here's the delayed update! How is it? I inwardly hope it helps explaining a bit about Rainzzi and Remus…does it confuse you more? LOL Sorry if it does…:(

Lastly, let's talk about something more important! Reviews! **PLEASE REVIEW and criticize it honestly if you find anything under-standard! **I promised you I won't keep you for another month or so before chapter 12 comes out…o'v'o wakakaa…


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Don't curse me for this chapter, okay?

**Chapter 12 – 'The Boost for Optimism'**

Rainzzi looked at her own reflection fastidiously, her eyes narrowing and her lips clasping more tightly together in dismay. She had been given a half-day off for preparation of the Ministry annual dinner which she was to accompany her parents to, while no other attendant was given the same privilege. She was forced into a shiny black tube top and an evening gown made up of range upon range of jet black gauze, which was, in her opinion, too extravagant for just a stupid function. Her dark hair was especially made in a French style, resting on her bare shoulder and now Toby the house-elf was working on her make-up inordinately.

"Honestly, Toby," she spoke to her house-elf, shifting uncomfortably in the fluffy armchair she was seated in, "What do you reckon you're dressing me up like this for? You remember I am not the hostess or something?" Rainzzi raised an eyebrow, staring at her immoderate self in the mirror.

"Yes, Toby knows," shrieked Toby passionately, taking a step backward to admire her semi-finished work from a fair distance. "But you'd want to look best in the special evening," she added as a hesitate afterthought, clinging to her delicate voice was obvious a hint of some sort.

"Special evening?" Rainzzi echoed incredulously, her face taut and momentous, "It's just an annual dinner."

Toby stopped her cosmetic work clumsily, accidentally dropping the eyeliner onto the floor in fright, but she shook her head in a secretive manner, bringing her face close and lowering her voice as though afraid of being eavesdropped. "It is," she whispered, "but it would also be anything but a mere dinner for Miss Rainzzi."

Rainzzi squinted at the house-elf on the mirror, Toby was rocking back and forth unwillingly in nervousness, but she still had her rounded eyes glued to her mistress unblinkingly, as if trying to convey a very important warning.

Rainzzi sat back, not having a single clue of what Toby was so desperate to transmit to her. She didn't ask any more question, as she knew that if Toby was allowed to confess, she would have already had. She appeared expressionless as Toby carried on applying mascara on her eyelashes, but a twinge of suspicion was slowly churning deep inside her…Being the daughter of such a celebrity family in the wizarding world she had had to accompany her parents to various functions every year, yet never in before had she been so luxuriously dressed up for them. Not even for the previous anniversary celebrations of the Ministry of Magic…

In spite of herself, she felt a slight flip of apprehension as her mind whirled more furiously around. Deep down, she knew something wasn't right; everything didn't make sense at all recently…For instance, Brice Fudge had been making appearances in the Auror Department a lot, it was as though he was desperate to be seen together with her. Besides that, her presence was demanded in the familial functions of the Fudges more often than ever…

To many these might look innocent, but to her, they all appeared too much for her liking, and they were only two of a thousand oddities. She gave a heavy sigh, waved her hand dismissively at the house-elf and massaged her forehead; she felt like her brain was going to explode when her mother's voice came from the doorway.

"Are you ready yet?" Millicent Bagnold-Delanuit asked, standing in an extravagant evening dress that rivalled Rainzzi's, a knob on the back of her head. She was an elegant lady, and very well-preserved too, when compared with women of the same age.

"Are you planning something behind my back?" Rainzzi asked behind her palms heedlessly, not meeting her mother's eyes. Although she had hidden her face in both her hands, she could perceive from the flinching shadow that Toby was shivering in fright.

There was a moment of muteness in the chamber before Mrs. Delanuit spoke again, her demeanour calm and still admirable but she was visibly disgruntled. "Toby, get your hands ironed in the laundry until they burn."

Toby let out a series of silent sobs, but she didn't dare to voice any complaints. "Mistress, please forgive Toby. Please."

Shooting Toby a silencing glance, Rainzzi looked up at her mother, her question dripped with defiance and weary, "For what? Devastating your plot or something?"

"She must have insinuated some false rumour to you. Toby, go down!" That sounded pretty irrational, but the way Mrs. Delanuit said it could always convince everyone that she's being reasonable.

Rainzzi grabbed Toby's pillowcase just before the pitiable creature obediently yet soberly gestured to go downstairs as commanded, restraining the small figure from going further. "Toby, stay here all night. This is an order!"

Launching out of the armchair she had been sitting in, Rainzzi strode to her mother, drawing level with her. She glared at the ancient woman and wrinkled her nose as she bypassed her, discontent and contempt splashed all over on her face. Yet she said nothing to her as though she considered talking to such a person would degrade herself.

Walking down the staircase to the living room with her downcast prickly head, she could see her father stood waiting with his back to her.

Mr. Delanuit coincidentally turned her way as she reached the bottom of the stairs, appraising her look and the peculiar mood she was in. Rainzzi met his father's glance in the eyes that were equally brilliant as hers, him she was not so afraid of, in fact, she barely knew him, as he took no interest in her generally.

There's a pause, as though he didn't know what to say. "You look great, Rainzzi," her father commented hesitantly after a while and kissed her cheek politely. One would tend to think that he was being too formal and businesslike given that it was his own daughter that he was talking to.

"Ah, Millicent, about time," he said abruptly, looking past Rainzzi's shoulder and held out his arm when his wife joined them, kissing her on her cheek too. Rainzzi watched in utter annoyance as her parents made a whispered conversation confidentially. _Another count for recent oddities_, she thought in irony.

She cleared her throat ferociously, "Quickly get this over with, shall we?"

Millicent smiled sharply at her; it was evident that her sophisticated face could show nothing other than polite smiles, though the variety of emotions behind was not perceivable. "I am sure you're really enthusiastic about the event, Rainzzi."

Rainzzi gave her a matching smile, but the sweetness and harmlessness not quite reaching her eyes and the smile vanished as quickly as it had made its way to her face.

Traveling by the luxurious Rolls Royce the Ministry provided, Rainzzi barely talked to her parents whilst they were again deep in conversation among themselves. Much to the old lady's irritation, she opened the window wide, eager to feel the breeze in her face. As the car speeded through the London night, something Sirius had said back in the Grimmauld Place struck her again. _You know perfectly that you don't like your parents…_

Sirius was right in every single bit, that's no denying that she hated her parents; her countenance before them demonstrated it all. Before the public, she was capable to act co-operatively as if the Delanuits was a real lovely family, but when no one was around, she had never put any effort to fool the ones concerned. She felt an odd sense of satisfaction not to.

As if it was an implied law of hers, she never cared for people she had to look down upon. And so far nobody had succeeded in changing this fundamental law of hers; no one had ever been able to tame her recalcitrance. To be trapped in earnest admiration, she must have someone who could master her. But inwardly she hoped she might never come across anyone like that, for she didn't for the slightest want to be caught in anyone's claws, not for anything.

She had been positive and firm about her own dignified isolationism, at least she still was a month ago, but sarcasm seemed to be the number one underlying assumption of the world, things one considered impossible were always disputed, and this was no exception.

Her mind was drifting off to a black-haired man again for the millionth time in the week…

Some minutes later, the car pulled to a halt with a loud horn, eager to notify everyone of its splendid arrival, concurrently awaking Rainzzi from her fantasy. Getting a grip of herself, she got off the car after her parents. She walked onto the red carpet that led to the lobby of the five-star Hotel, conscious of everyone's glance; dressed up in a style like this, there's no preventing from being brought under the limelight of the event. However, she managed to force a faint smile for display as she aristocratically carried on her advancement towards the venue.

Proceeding through the double doors that the waiters held open for her, she founded herself in a polished and resplendent hall, the centre of which hung an enormous crystal chandelier, illuminating the dancing platform below. About fifty small round tables were arranged around and at the other end of the hall, there was another platform, but a long rectangular one, presumably for the master of the ceremony and honoured guest to make speeches.

An usherette came up to the Delanuits, bowing courteously with professionalism before she led them to the front tables – tables for VIPs. Her parents settled themselves in a table right in front of the platform while Rainzzi was beckoned to another table already seated Sunny, her brother, and his pregnant wife Lydia, alongside a few people unknown to her. She nodded politely to them before she sat down.

"Hey, Rainzzi," Lydia greeted warmly, leaning forward to give her sister-in-law the closest hug her enlarged belly would allow. "I miss you."

"So do I," Rainzzi said, returning her hug as her eyes wandered past Lydia's shoulder and landed on Sunny.

"Quite modest, aren't you, huh?" Sunny smirked mischievously in a low voice, staring pointedly at her outfit.

"Yes, quite," Rainzzi rolled her eyes heavenwards, her exhaustion ebbing away at the sight of her brother whom she hadn't seen for quite a while, except in the newspaper (Sunny was the Chief Director of the Gringotts Wizard Bank, a leading enterprise that Lydia's maternal family had monopolised for centuries.)

"So how's work?"

"Very fine, thank you," she said.

Sunny smirked at the sarcasm that he had been so used to. "Recent happenings are interesting, aren't they?" he asked in a whisper, eyeing the top table with amusement.

"They're hardly recent, Sunny," Rainzzi shrugged, "Things have been interesting for quite a while now."

Sunny raised his brows questioningly. For a moment, he held her glance, as if trying to transmit his inquisition in a thought bubble, but they were interrupted by the arrival of Brice Fudge, much to her vexation.

"Good to see you there, Brice," Sunny said conversationally, however with a less than amicable tone. Rainzzi was sure he wouldn't even have acknowledged him if no one was around.

"Me too," Brice replied absently, pulling out the vacant chair on her left and perching on it. Squinting at him, Rainzzi was discontented to find him attired in a glossy black swallow-tailed coat and matching trousers, it was as if they had planned their costumes together. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

Rainzzi talked no more; she had lost the appetite to. She put on an interested face and pretended to be listening as Sunny and Lydia dealt with Brice on behalf of her. The dinner soon began at eight o'clock sharp. The main courses served were superb and magnificent, but she didn't enjoy much; Brice's existence was haunting her more than usual and the time during which she was trapped in such a hypocritical atmosphere was slipping away too slowly for her liking.

However, despite her unspoken reluctance, she managed to maintain her enthusiastic and appealing nutshell throughout the evening, presenting sincere regards to everyone who she came across. Sitting besides Brice became not so much of a nightmare when she let her mind wander off and imagine she was somewhere else, but still she couldn't help noticing how Brice's hand accidentally-on-purpose squeezed her laps slightly once in a while.

As the night proceeded, she found her aching muscles relaxing when Cornelius Fudge made his speech, the end of which would indicate the start of the dance, which's always when Rainzzi sneaked away unnoticed.

"I am sure you've all enjoyed the night thoroughly," Fudge was saying, his wand pointing to his throat. "And in here I am certain that you all know that today is the 1073rd anniversary of the establishment of our Ministry of Magic, a real reformed and democratized constitutional government that our world has ever had…"

Rainzzi's brain began roaming around, her eyelids felt extremely heavy and she was no the verge of falling asleep, but she could still blurrily make out what Fudge was saying…

"In the past years, we have experienced together a lot, both valuable high and low times; sadness and joy; success and failure; misery and happiness; in short, basically everything, anything at all. And the very government survived although it had been seriously threatened for quite a few times, it has kept itself running during the Globins Rebellion, the Elf Confrontation and the attempted Vampire Dynastic Reinstatement; it has overcome numerous serene conflicts we have had with the muggles, it has also defeated the dark and evil forces that emerged from time to time. Together, we have conquered every difficulty and obstacle that comes up to us by remaining strong and united.

"And so I see no reason…no reason at all to feel all frustrated and hopeless this time. It is completely true that when You-know-who has returned, we should be all in an alert mode and beware of the happenings around us, but I must…again…reassure you all that the Ministry is doing its best to maintain law and order and preserve the stability of the community…

"So far, the Ministry has got hold of some very important and vital information about what the Dark Lord may be up to and the whereabouts of the Death Eaters. Moreover, in the last encounter with most the fundamental spirits among the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries, our well-trained and disciplined Aurors have successfully attained their high efficiency and thwarted their core plan, along with this impressive success, they have also arrested a resounding number of Death Eaters, imaginably scattering their evil plots…

"In here, I shall not hesitate to point out that the vantage on our side has been well vindicated by the fact that the Dark Lord has, up to this point, still not made any real menaces. And I will guarantee you all that the Ministry will not only uphold a policy of containment, as what rumours and gossips had it, but will instead predominately do its very best to vanquish, to rout and to devastate You-know-who and his gang. It's the Ministry's promise that will adopt a zero-tolerance policy and will never falter until You-know-who was completely foiled."

As Fudge paused, several lapdogs stood up and clapped in appreciation, then the Hall was soon resonating with applause as everyone joined in. To the standing ones, Fudge beamed and waved. When the applause eventually faded away, he resumed his unfinished speech.

"Protected by the Ministry's strong administration and governing, we should all keep being optimistic although it is my responsibility to prompt each and every one of you again to be more watchful and cautious. At the same time we should all bear in mind the belief that victory and triumph is not far from us and that merry and joyful events will keep occurring," Fudge said cheerfully with a self-satisfied grin in a lighthearted tone.

"Just for an example," Fudge's grin broadened, "My son has just been engaged with his girlfriend, (the spotlight turned to cast on Brice and Rainzzi) and my family will soon join with a fellow prestigious family in a relational union-" he inclined his head at her Delanuit.

At first, it didn't strike Rainzzi as hard as it should have, as she wasn't really paying any attention. But realisation soon sunk in as people turned to her from every direction and she finally digested what Cornelius Fudge had just said. She remained very still as yet more people cracked their necks in attempt to get a clearer view of the newly-announced engaged couple. Sunny and Lydia were both staring at them too, thunderstruck.

She forced a dispassionate countenance and avoided everybody's glance while a twinge of panic overcame her inwardly. Inclining her head ever so slightly, she chanced a peek at her parents, but they were purposefully looking the other way, each wearing an attentive smile, it was like they had been anticipating that particular part of the speech all along.

"Oh," Fudge added hastily, bringing his hand to his mouth, as if he could persuade anyone, "I definitely shouldn't have let slip of that…"

Upon an interchange of a sign between Mrs. Fudge and her mother, as if she was struck by a sudden inspiration, Rainzzi suddenly understood it all too thoroughly – They had had it all planned.

They had been planning their engagement behind her back.

_Please…_Rainzzi inwardly prayed, _wreck me out of the awful dream, please…_But nothing happened, there's no alarm clock to wake her up…or any evidence at all to prove that she had been dreaming. As if fate was trying to intentionally devastate her, a round of whisper had descended upon the ball room when people fixed their eyes on the two of them and to make things worse, Brice had slipped one of his arms around her shoulder casually and was returning the smile to everyone in verification.

"Piss off," Rainzzi hissed under her breath in mingled fury and awe, but Brice silenced her by landing his index finger on her lips, murmuring "Shhh…" lovingly as if he was staring at the love of his life. And judging from his confidential smile, his father's 'contingent' confession was presumably part of the schedule.

Rainzzi repressed the urge to brush his hand off by taking a sip of red wine; she wanted to rise up and make an announcement herself, making public Cornelius Fudge's falsity, but no, she wouldn't allow herself to make a scene.

She remained seated, clenching her fists under the table, knuckles transparent and veins visible, when she willed herself to think rationally.

So that was it. That was what she had been kept in the dark of – the reason why the Fudges and her parents had been meeting so frequently in recent times. They had been trying to generate a new wave of topical issues and occupy the newspaper headlines by an engagement between their son and daughter, merging two of the most prestigious families. And they were probably going to hold a wedding-of-the-century to divert domestic attention from the disappointing social issues brought to light by Voldemort's return.

It was exactly what Brice had called 'the boost of optimism'.

Rainzzi cursed herself secretly, she should have seen it coming…she should definitely have seen it coming, for there were just too many clues. From Brice's sudden liking to make appearances in her work station to the constant demand for her presence at the Fudge's home, why hadn't she discovered that their parents had been creating rumours and gossips?

"You have known this all along," she said, more to herself that to Brice, barely parting her lips while she peered under her lashes at Brice who still had his arm hanging over her bare shoulder.

Brice made the slightest indication of a nod, pretending to be listening intently to his father's public speech.

Rainzzi could no longer think rationally; she couldn't be less mindful of the whispers engulfing her and the nosy glances that everyone kept aiming at her. She didn't have a clear idea of how she had managed to keep her hideous and exceptional quietness. All she knew was that her stomach was whirling so fast as she had never experienced before, and that she hardly comprehended what she should do because her head was still pounding with the oblivious announcement that Fudge had made.

Her senses didn't come back to her until Brice reached over and grabbed her hands in his, pulling her up from the chair and to the dance platform while people nearby were still secretly throwing peeks at them.

"Can you tell me what the hell is happening?" Rainzzi hissed heatedly, digging her nails into his palm, her indignation drenching her all over.

"We're getting married, Rainzzi," Brice whispered brazenly in a chortle, "You can't escape from my claws forever I've sworn. Is it that you've had no faith in me all along?"

"Tell me you're not getting along with this nonsense," Rainzzi said calmly.

Brice took one of her hands in his while he placed his other one on her waist, obliging her to move in accordance with him. "Why? I think I am."

"Wake up, Brice! The old fools are deriving benefits from us, they are manipulating us! Can't you see?" Rainzzi glared at him maliciously, but her helplessness was noticeable in her imperative voice, "But anyway, you know well by heart that I won't compromise, not for anything. It will be a cold day in hell when I marry you!"

"You will naturally have your gains if you marry me," Brice said tranquilly, tightening his grab of her waist and leaning closer, "You would be promoted to be the Head of the Auror Department within a year after our marriage."

"Thank you very much," Rainzzi almost spat at him, "But my becoming the Head is just a matter of time, I don't think your gracious help is needed for me to rise in the Ministry!"

"Patience, patience, Rainzzi. You've got to hear the whole of it," Brice said, a note of amused exuberance evident in his voice, "You will be promoted if we successfully get married. But the very opposite will be taken into action should you be so stubborn and assertive as to deny the resplendent marriage, you will not merely be demoted, but will be immediately thrown out of the Ministry and disowned by the Delanuits, and I would personally make sure you will neither be employed elsewhere. You will turn a living scandal, an outrage that was hung publicly for everyone to tease."

"You dare not!" Rainzzi croaked feverishly, sounding braver than she was. Deep down, she had been aware of many acts of corruption and grafts within the Ministry, most of which pursued by the Minister himself.

Brice brought his index finger to her lips again, tracing on the bottom one seductively. "Nah…I am more facultative that you could ever imagine. You're underestimating my authority. Believe me, I will do everything with no limited extent to get you marry me. Whether you consent or not just will not hinder me."

"You are a wise woman, Rainzzi," Brice continued, "You have two options before you. One guarantees you a bright future while the other promises you nothing other than melancholy and destruction. I am sure you would make a choice you will never regret of."

"Think you could scare me, Brice?"

"Yes, I think so. Revelation of secrets is always a dangerous weapon."

Rainzzi stared at him irritatedly, trying to comprehend what he was referring to. But she was too occupied in trying to find some clues of humour in his face…any clues of humour. To her utter terror, he was meeting her eyes unfalteringly; he was no joke and he looked more solemn than he had ever had. She had to talk some sense into him, she needed to.

"Think rationally, if you please, Brice. You could live your life as an eternal bachelor, why tie yourself down to a woman you don't like?"

"First, I must emphasise that a marriage for me is no barrier from having affairs," he explained impudently, enjoying their closeness, "Second, I enjoy the feeling of conquering you."

Rainzzi's breath was caught in her throat, as one of his hand travelled from her back down to her hips, squeezing slightly, and the other one which had been playing with her hair stayed at the back of her head, steadying their ultra closeness. "Don't do anything impulsive, Rainzzi, you're a composed lady," Brice breathed flirtatiously on her nose, "And lots of people are watching."

He drew closer. Rainzzi felt a surge of nausea when he crashed his lips on hers firmly, opening hers and began his intrusive assault in her mouth.

* * *

**Kaleidoscope **o'v'o): As usual, lotsa thank-yous and luv go to my _greatttt_ reviewers: **siriuszsecretlover****, padfootedmoony, Nicky Black, Annoriel and EmEm. **Thank you so very much for reviewing, I luv reading you guys' reviews!

**Please review** again and tell me what you think of the chapter! And as compensation of writing sucha _wicked_ (yea I know…and I am sorry…) chapter, I will let you decide what happens next…okay?


	13. Chapter 13

**13. Dear all **o'v'o)

**Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!**

**Luv****, Kaleidoscope**

* * *

Everyone has a limit in the depth of their heart; a least acceptable limit that is never to be crossed, or to put it more accurately, you wish it never be crossed. On one side of the border you are happy and satisfied, there are the things you would content to get along with, no matter how nasty they might be, simply because they are labelled by you as acceptable, while on the other, you are better off dead than alive, everything there is to be damned, although they might appear to other people as negotiable. 

Each person set their deadline at different lengths. Some people set theirs at a touchable distance, while some seem to have no limit at all. But such extreme people are seldom found. It is because those overbearing people who refuse to accept anything a bit uncool often find life intolerable at an early stage that they eventually withdraw by committing suicide, and the latter ones we are so despising of their concessions to everything that we don't want to take another close look at them and, as to beautify the sacred human morality, we simply pretend there's no such people in the world.

Deducing from empirical evidence, psychologists claim that one's deadline is always not set at where he/she assumes it to be; rather, it won't be realised unless it was severely tested and examined.

And Rainzzi just realised for the first time at where her deadline lay.

The road where she was walking along was deserted, rid of life, provided that it was already midnight.

As a soft breeze howled past her, she gave an involuntary shiver, accidentally bumping her arm on the wall. A surge of pain ran through her veins yet she gave no indication she was sensible of it as it was outweighed by a sickening feeling.

She grasped her elbow obliviously and fell to lean on the cool surface of the wall. Facing the velvety night sky, she wanted nothing more than to throw back her head and yell frantically at the sky, demanding whoever it was that ruled the world why it kept amusing itself by upsetting her. She could find no other reason to explain her persistent unluckiness.

It's as though she had been jinxed back on the day when she came to the world that every disaster had found its way to clap their claws on her. But she had never complained about the fairness of life before, though she had been reproachful at the world at some point. She used to believe that between everything that happened there existed a certain kind of man-made causality.

She used to have utter confidence in her willpower then, and she made it crystal clear to close ones that she thought, with her intelligibility and endeavours, she could overcome any unfavourable circumstances. She believed she was in her own hands, not in any God's. It was an arrogant belief which not everyone had the guts to have faith in. Rainzzi just happened to be one of the rare ones.

Never in her life had she felt so frustrated and powerless. But sometimes, no matter how tough one was, there's just no stoppage to surrendering to destiny.

The past mishaps she didn't take to heart, since they were in one way or another either remediable or tolerable, and the obstacles and difficulties she encountered just added to her ambition and aggressiveness to survive and to prove herself to those who had looked down upon her. But this time it was different.

A marriage with Brice Fudge was both irremediable and unbearable.

At one point she almost thought she deserved it, for she should have considered it probable before she started dating him. In fact, she did have, as every sane person would, entertained the possibility of the relationship-in-convenience resulting in a marriage, but everyone tended to be impetuous sometimes, especially when they were blinded by short-term merits. What was she to do when her parents analyzed, just as she had been demoted, the proposal of starting a relationship that seemed to only bring benefits but no harm whatsoever?

Rainzzi remained resting upon the wall for quite a while. Though she would never admit it, she was a bit scared by the muteness and coldness engulfing her, which brought forth an excruciating sense of hopelessness. She was desperate to find someone reliable, maybe just to stay with.

At work, she could talk to whomever as she pleased, but during times of neediness of a pathetic ear, Rainzzi could practically find no one at all – one of the major consequences of being too ambitious and fastidious.

Of course, she saw Remus as her friend, but she wouldn't allow herself to trouble him any further. It would be too heartless to do so.

For a split second, she thought of staying there all night. But a ghostly voice soon arose in the back of her head in a whisper; as though to remind her of something, _I will be your last resort should you need it… _The whisper repeated non-stop. The voice sounded oddly familiar, but with such a clouded mind, Rainzzi couldn't make out to whom it belonged though it was at the tip of her tongue.

Abruptly, she launched herself away from the cold brick wall, and then resumed walking, faster this time, but just as swayingly. She had presumed that she was just trying get away from the chilly place as swift as possible, but it had proven to be wrong as she saw herself turning sideway at a junction. And then a second… and a third. It was like she was heading to a specific place.

Where she was going to she didn't know. All she perceived was that it was as if she had suddenly found a desired destination that lit a fire somewhere deep in her heart. Her pace slowly quickened, ending almost in a jog until she arrived at a doorstep with a muggle neighbourhood.

As she stood there, she comprehended nothing, including why she was there and where she was. But a broader look at the house made she freeze in silent fright. It was the Lyttelton Mansion – where Sirius lived.

It must be a mistake. It must be.

She forced herself to turn away before anyone acknowledged her presence. But she was unable to move a single inch, she was too transfixed by the dim light emitting from the curtained window – Sirius most probably hadn't slept yet.

Knowing he was probably on the other side of the wall, she suddenly felt a swoop of reluctance to leave, knowing clearly Sirius would never turn her away, especially when she was in such a state, but console her. And she also knew that Sirius would try to help her until he's at wit's end.

Digging her nails into her palm and biting her lip, she raised her hand and knocked on it hesitantly. The seconds ensuing the knock was possibly the most desperate moment in her entire life. One part of her wished Sirius has heard her soft knock. But another part of her hoped that Sirius had already gone to bed long ago that he wouldn't spare any time to her.

When she was internally debating whether to leave or not, Rainzzi could hear someone inside had started making his way towards the door. She soon found herself gazing down at the doorknob in anxiety. For the second time, she considered fleeing away before the door was answered, but somehow she was like being glued onto the doorstep that she couldn't move her legs for the teeniest bit.

The door opened in a soundless movement, slowly allowing a dark shadow. Rainzzi squinted up as Sirius Black stepped into view.

Not expecting any guest at such a late hour, Sirius was wearing a shirt and an old pyjamas. He was clearly still wide awake, though his eyes showed exhaustion. His distracted expression soon dissolved into one of pure delight as he realized who his visitor was.

"Rainzzi," said Sirius with a little smile, his shock artificially buried. He stepped sideward eagerly to allow room for her access, his eyes never releasing her.

Dressed in such an immaculate evening gown Rainzzi looked absolutely incredible and the very sight of her made his stomach lurch. However, a closer look at her struck him just as hard, she didn't look her normal self. The confidence forever demonstrated upon her face was nowhere to be seen, instead, her eyes were puffy and she looked miserably pale.

Sirius stared at her penetratingly, expecting her to say something, maybe to explain why she was here. When he eventually understood that she was not going to explain, he asked quietly, "Are you looking for me?"

Her breath caught in her throat, "I…" she began hesitantly, but she couldn't bring herself to confess that she had walked over such a long distance just to seek his companion. "I just want to have a night chat with…Remus."

If his face had darkened, Rainzzi couldn't see it. All she knew was that he had loosened his grip on her.

"I see. But Remus is not here. It's his turn to station in the headquarter tonight," Sirius explained, his tone deadpan.

And then a flabbergasted silence descended upon the pair. Rainzzi cursed herself inwardly; they seemed to have turned into complete strangers. "So I think I'll just go then," she replied finally.

"Don't," said Sirius instantaneously, flinging out his arm to block her way to the door. "Something happened, isn't there?" He slanted forth, grabbing her shoulders and staring at her earnestly with apprehension. "Is something wrong?"

Is something wrong? _Everything is wrong, _she wanted to answer ironically, but she didn't. Instead, she made a noncommittal shrug.

He didn't say anything in response, but Rainzzi was pretty sure he confirmed himself then something had really happened. She was unable to look at him directly when he grabbed a cloak nearby and threw it over her shoulder. Because somehow being shown so much care, she felt ten times pitiable. And her lips had already started trembling.

"Rainzzi," said Sirius softly, he had deliberately torn his eyes off her and was pulling the cloak tightly around her, "do you know how much it hurts to see you being upset but not able to do anything about it?"

Rainzzi stared at Sirius' face which was ever so near to hers, she could feel his warmth. She could also see that he was wearing a deep troubled frown; it was as though he was sharing her sadness, taking her grief as his. Then, to her horror, hot prickly tears began gathering at the rims of her orbits, threatening to fall down. But before they fell, she managed to bring her face behind her palms.

No longer able to suppress her emotions, she slowly descended until she was practically sitting on the floor. She prayed and prayed for the tears to stop coming, but once the tears were let loose, they were like dripping in a pattern, and they simply wouldn't stop falling.

In a minute's time, Rainzzi was hysterically sobbing behind her hands.

Alarmed, Sirius knelt down besides her and pulled her tight protectively, allowing her to curl up and cry in his chest. He patted her back soothingly, but he said nothing, as he wasn't sure if he could manage to sound calm and pacifying enough to comfort her. His own stomach is churning and he felt all tremulous. He felt like crying along, because he knew by heart that Rainzzi was not one of those women who cried indiscriminately just to gain sympathy. For her to lost control, she must have been greatly depressed. It was like stabbing a knife right in the middle of his heart to watch her sob. Her every sob was piercing his heart into pieces. What wouldn't he give up just to stop her crying and make her smile again?

From the second he saw her tonight, he knew right away that something had happened. Obviously something bad had, he was sure. Yet he didn't even have any idea as for what had happened. But he sworn to himself firmly, whoever the trouble-maker was, he would make them pay, at an astronomical price.

An overwhelming wave of nostalgia overcame Sirius as she hugged back, its effect was intricate and he must clench his fists to suppress it. Her touch and the smell of her hair reminded him so much of their old joyful days. God, how mistaken he was to think that he had long forgotten her embraces. He felt it was just yesterday that they had hugged. But it was also very disheartening to feel her in his arms; it was drawing a big contrast between the present and past. When they had last hugged, he could recall, it had been in the very same chamber. Same venue, same people, but they just weren't the same.

They had both suffered so much hardship and changed, and…most depressing of all, she didn't belong to him anymore. When she cried in the old days, a passionate kiss and a soothing 'Shhh…Don't cry, baby. It'll be okay,' would be all it took to ease her misery. But now, he knew it just wouldn't work. He laid his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes, drowning in his own sadness.

He hugged her still more tightly as he could sense her sobs starting to fade a bit.

Rainzzi pulled away from him once she mustered to get a grip of herself. She kept her head bowed while she surreptitiously peeked at Sirius through the corners of her bloodshot eyes. He was looking all concerned and worried, and through his complicated countenance she saw a certain kind of sentiment which she could not quite identify.

"Rainzzi, what's it?" Sirius asked urgently in a husky voice, his hands were on her face, tenderly rubbing it.

She considered telling him about the engagement, but decided against it after a second thought. It would be too cruel to add one more stone on his already laden shoulder, and she expected that her engagement with Fudge would distress him no less than her.

"Nothing," she said stubbornly, with unintentional enmity.

Sirius clamped his lips tightly together in frustration, as he suddenly realized he had no authority to oblige her to tell him everything. She just set out to talk to Remus, and she would have told Remus everything if he had been there. But she clearly was not confident to confide in Sirius anything personal. He was possibly a no one to her. He had no ground on which to base his inquires. But he decided to give it a last try.

"Tell me honestly, what happened?"

"It's of no importance anyway!" she said through the hiccoughs.

"If it is not important, then why were you crying like that just now-?"

"Laugh out loud if you want, Sirius. I don't care!" Rainzzi breathed defensively before he got the opportunity to finish his sentence; his referent to her crying seemed to have embarrassed her. "It must have been laughable for you, to see me letting loose of my emotions like that."

"Rainzzi, is the impression I give you _so_ bad honestly?" Sirius frowned, as a pang of insult and bitterness spread over his face. He held her close and stared at her determinedly as if trying to make it clear that he was being all honest and sincere. "When will you open your eyes wide and see for yourself who really cares for you? Hands on heart, I don't find it by any standard laughable," then he paused, "Everybody lets loose of their emotions once in a while."

"But you don't," she whispered weakly before she could stop herself.

"How do you know I don't?"

"You just don't."

"I do."

Rainzzi stared up at him incredulously, but every sign on his face suggested he was not kidding.

"So…you let loose of your emotions too," she said, in an oddly high-pitched voice that didn't sound like hers at all.

"Once in a while, yes," Sirius confirmed with a weak smile, "when I think about Lily and James, and when I think about _us_."

"About what happened to both of us…and between us," he added, holding Rainzzi in an intense stare for a brief moment, his expression suddenly unreadable.

Rainzzi's eyes lingered on his young face, and then her heart sank drastically. Behind the cool façade he pulled up Sirius appeared to her almost vulnerable. It was the first ever time she had seen him so peaceful and innocent; his eyes were of a twinkling sapphire blue, dripped with longing and desperation. And he looked miserable and foiled, too.

Rainzzi found herself cursing fate again, not for the engagement with Brice this time, but for having devastated Sirius, who would otherwise be leading a splendid life.

Suddenly she felt all ashamed and apologetic of ever thinking he had embroiled her as she remembered part of his pain and hurt were caused by her. In all those years when she thought that Azkaban served Sirius right, she had not appreciated he had suffered a lot undeserved toils, too. And back in the interrogation room, she had even blamed him harshly for existing in this world. As though to make up, she touched his hand briefly.

Sirius responded by locking his fingers with hers. Unable to meet his gaze squarely, Rainzzi stared at some spot beyond Sirius. She found in awe, that on the wall adjacent to them, there were a few portraits hanging coherently. She had never taken notice of them. But then, the only other time she had been there, it was Harry's birthday party, and it's really crowded then.

To her horror, a crystal tear fell from her eye as she stared at one of them, a moving picture of Sirius and her, happily soaked in love.

The tear landed neatly on the back of Sirius' hand. He looked at it for a while and then cupped her cheek with his spare hand, his finger wiping away the tears. "Rainzzi…"

She turned back to him, but she didn't meet his eyes. Her eyes were like unfocused, as if they didn't know where to land. And the puzzlement shown on her gorgeous face was so fierce that it silenced him instantly.

"Sirius, I don't understand," Rainzzi murmured, with a sad frown. "In fact, I have been perplexed about it for quite a while…I meant to ask you…but I never got my head round to…"

"What are you perplexed about?" Sirius prompted.

"I don't get it…" she paused, and took a deep breath before she continued. "I don't understand why you are so indulged in me."

"Because I…"

Rainzzi carried on in a blur murmur, as if he hadn't interrupted. "I mean, I am all conceited and self-centered. I am so egoistic and obsessed with power that many people find offensive. And…I have been treating you nastily." She turned to stare at Sirius, almost with self-contempt. It looked as if it caused her great pain to utter the words, "I haven't been treating you with the respect you deserved. Why do you like me so much?"

She turned to gaze at her fingers unseeingly and was blank in the face. Two pink dots were obliviously creeping into her wet cheek. For a fleeting moment, Sirius stared at her frozenly; he really didn't like the way she demeaned herself.

"The way you treat me is totally understandable. I must say it's by no standard nasty. And you are not offensive. Rainzzi, you have never been," said Sirius, his voice of easy clarity. "Of course, you aren't perfect either." (Rainzzi forced a weak nervous smile, but the misery remained in place.) "Nobody is perfect. But it's one of those things. When a person falls too madly in love with another, he is completely blind to everything. He can completely ignore all her flaws. And that's exactly how I feel."

"I had known I loved you, but I have no idea I am so in love with you until I was sentenced to Azkaban," confessed Sirius neutrally. He hadn't thought he could speak of his innermost feeling in front of Rainzzi so freely. But once he started, he just couldn't stop everything pouring out.

"As you know, the Dementors exploit one of all his happy memories and thoughts, leaving him all hopeless and in melancholy, pessimistic about life. Many people thought the Dementors also suck out hopes. But it's not true. The cruelest thing about those creatures is that they leave you with endless little hopes. It's through hoping and wishing and yet not able to strive for your goals that makes you feel totally thwarted and defeated. During my imprisonment I spent days and nights thinking about you, musing about what could have happened to the two of us, wishing to see you again and compensating for the hell I have led you to.

"Although the thoughts of Harry and Peter kept me alive, it's you that I constantly thought about. I had been doubtful if it's all the effects of the Dementors, but even after I have escaped from Azkaban, I still thought about you as often. Then I realized, Azkaban didn't change the way I think, it just made me perceive a thing or two, that I have been more in love with you than I had thought."

"They say you are too ambitious and a bit heartless, but I say otherwise, I think you're as sweet as ever. Do you understand it now? Why I like you has nothing to do with appearance, or the unbelievable things you can do, or even your character merely," Sirius finished neatly in one gulp, as though afraid that any interruption would discourage him.

He leaned closer and closer until Rainzzi could not but look at him directly. "Rainzzi, I love you, warts and all."

Taken aback by his boldness, Rainzzi was unable to react right away. She just stared into the depth of his beautiful eyes and willingly lost herself in his aura. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her mind was whirling. It wasn't until 10 seconds that her brain clicked into gear again. Her face twisted slightly into a smile. But then, she sensed an urgent need to apologize.

"I'm sorry," said Rainzzi.

"What for?"

"I'm terribly sorry," she kept saying.

He patted the top of her head with a fragile smile. "Don't apologize. It's equally joyful to love and to be loved."

"It's equally joyful to love and to be loved," Rainzzi echoed to herself. She stared at Sirius with a strange doubtful look. Now that Sirius' feeling for her was minutely revealed, it gave rise to another equally vital puzzlement – What was it that she felt for Sirius Black?

Was it merely a sense of gratitude or…was it something more?

"Rainzzi," whispered Sirius awkwardly, dismantling her muses. She looked up, in a way not unlike she had just discovered his existence, which was kind of peculiar because Sirius had wrapped her in his arms again and was staying close. He brushed a strand of hair away and tucked it behind her ear. "Aren't you curious?" he asked quietly.

Rainzzi froze for what seemed like forever, staring at him blankly. Then she made the smallest movement with her head that could mean anything. However, her ensuing gestures showed her will.

She leaned nearer and her hands were clutching his sleeves nervously. But she came to a halt when she could almost feel his eyelashes tackling hers. She stopped in her track.

Staying so close to Sirius, she felt so much love and care and she would happily content to stay in his warmth forever, but at the same time she also dreaded over it as she knew she would eventually have to leave it.

Rainzzi didn't know who the one who took the fatal initiative was; all she perceived was that she suddenly felt his warm lips firmly on hers. Sirius was kissing her passionately; really passionately as if eager to illustrate explicitly how much he loved her. He was running his fingers gracefully through her hair, shattering her french knot, and his tentative touch was sending a surge of admiration through her very veins, casting away every doubt of hers. Then she found herself eagerly slipped her arms around his broad shoulder, trying to pull him even closer.

In the nanosecond before she totally lost herself in his charm, a bubble thought appeared – life was fair afterall. She might be unsuccessful in every other aspect, but she found outweighing satisfaction in one particular department and it was really worth all her loss.

* * *

**A/N: **_Wow, it's been so long since I last updated. So here it is – chapter 13. This scene has never been planned in the schedule, but then I thought, it's Christmas for god's sake and I have this suspicion that you would all shift to hate me if I keep tormenting them for too long. wakakaa…X)_

_As for my plans of the next chapters: the drama will be back, and I'm trying to get some political stuff into it. Sunny Delanuit will assume an important role. On whose side he is? Oh you gotta read it for yourself._

_As usual, _Please review and tell me what you think of it. I'll luv you to death.


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: **Thank you TheBeautifulLetdown, padfootedmoony, EmEm2388, not-a-drunken-princess, Ilara Zadlo **and **Sima for reviewing**. (For those of you who dislike Rainzzi or her character, I hope this chapter changes your opinion of her… :)_

**14. Sirius vs. Brice**

For like an eternity Sirius lay watching her, letting the morning sunlight play on her closed lids.

With the fear that all good things would collapse once he closed his eyes, he had had no intention to blink, let alone sleep. But surprisingly he wasn't fatigued at all. He just lay there in the mound of pillows besides her, hoping the day could drag on like that.

As a soft breeze swept in from the window, he reached over and pulled the sheet up around her protectively. She stirred slightly in her sleep and unconscious brought her face closer to his. For the uncountable time, Sirius ran his eyes appreciatively all over her exquisite features. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't seen her during morning hours for quite some years…her hair was shining succulently under the sunlight…

God, and he had forgotten how long her dark lashes were, the lengthiness of which was stressed dramatically now that he observed from the side. Suddenly he had an urge to brush them with his finger, just to feel them, but at a second thought he decided against the option, lest she be woken from her sleep. He rose on one elbow and fell to trace her jaw-line tentatively.

Peculiar it might be, the first word that he could find to describe her was 'peaceful', while the second was 'vulnerable'. He was marvelled by such big a difference between her usual self and when she let down her guard. And it brought him an odd sense of satisfaction to assume he was among the few ones that had seen the face under the façade that she had been trying so hard to preserve. It was as though they had reached a new stage, and more importantly, he could finally retrieve in her some evidence of the Rainzzi that he used to know.

A smile appeared on his face as his finger advanced to her bottom lip. The lips that his own had occupied not long ago.

Series of kissing and hugging were not that much, now he thought about it, but it's certainly a nice progress. In fact, there had been some suggestive moments throughout the night that could have easily directed them to sex. But somehow he didn't think it was a decent act to take advantage of her current mental state. _What a noble man_, he thought teasingly.

His smile soon weakened as his mind drifted to the prime reason she had been here.

In spite of his bombardment, she didn't exactly tell him what bothered her, though she had given him full guarantee that she could manage it herself. And scene of her appearance at the doorway had been invading his brain all night and it depressed him every time to remember that she had come not to find him but Remus. _It still didn't mean anything_, Sirius concluded, what counted was the fact that she was being with him right now.

As if desperate to vindicate to himself, he bent down on an impulse and pressed his lips on hers, laying down a tender kiss. The doubts immediately ebbed away, and he realised with confidence that even if they were not arriving anywhere currently, the ending would still be the same: they were destined to be together…he would make sure of that.

Carried away, he failed to notice the strange grimace on her face that signified her awakening consciousness, before she fluttered open her eyes, or he wouldn't have been so offhanded to be shoved away. All of a sudden her hand was on his chest, eyeing him difficultly and keeping him away, but she didn't exactly push him off. He remained towering her as she closed her eyes again with exhaustion and massaged her temple as though troubled.

"G'morning, Rainzzi," whispered Sirius cheerfully, but she didn't seem very comfortable in his presence. Yet, he was glad to see that after the rest, she was utterly calm.

"Morning."

He straightened up and watched when she pushed herself up in the bed and moved to rest on the headboard sleepily, pulling the sheet with her and bringing her knees to the chest. Looking over his shoulder, she idly glanced around the chamber.

He couldn't resist the smirk from displaying as puzzlement whirled over her eyes that were focused on the opposite wall. On which a splendid masterpiece was hung – the portrait of them in gown and tux. He remained silent and enjoyed the way her eyes lingered on his then back on the paint.

"Feeling better?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she hesitated.

"Do you want some breakfast?"

"No, thanks," she said, moving over to the edge of the bed, and discovered awkwardly that she was in his pyjamas. For a moment, her eyes travelled from herself then to the mess of black gauze on the bedside table that was her dress. Sirius had the impression that she was pondering over what had happened during the night. "Hm, Sirius," she said finally, clutching her clothes, but she didn't question him about the night, "Would you mind lending me some shirt and pants?"

He gaped at her, surprised.

"I have to go to work," she explained.

"I see. No problem." Sirius strode across the room quickly and furrowed at his wardrobe. "Rainzzi," he turned back to her, "I've kept some of your old clothes in the spare room. I think –"

"Shirt and pants are fine." She walked to him impatiently. He handed her the careful selection when she reached his side but he didn't let go of it as soon as he should have. For a few seconds they were basically pulling on the same thing.

He held her gaze. "In fact, some possessions of yours are kept too. If you want to –"

"Sirius, I am in a hurry, so if you don't mind…" Rainzzi interrupted indifferently. He let go of the clothes. "Thank you," she said, heading to the bathroom.

He frowned at her back, at her renewed formality. There was really no need to be _so_ discreet. Sirius bumped down on the chair nearby moodily. He sat with his lined face on the hands for a while, trying not to think too much, then hastily got out of the chair as if it discomforted him.

He strode to the bathroom and stamped his ear on the door, he could hear the splashing of water. "Rainzzi," he knocked on the door and raised his voice, "I think we need to talk properly."

The sound of running water came to a halt, ensued by a noise not unlike that of some collision.

"Are you okay?" he asked apprehensively, there was no response. "Rainzzi?"

When she didn't respond again, he forced open the door, ready to rescue. But the bathroom was totally vacant. It didn't take him long to perceive that the noise was of no collision but of her Disapparation. He was speechless…but at the same time he wanted to curse aloud. He glared at her nonexistence.

He looked up at the mirror and met the face of a manipulated man, feverishly he slammed the door shut with a thunderous bang, and ended up clutching the rim of the sink and glaring down as if it was the face of an archenemy.

"SIRIUS!" A voice distracted him abruptly.

"WHAT?" Sirius spat, ready to zero in on the scapegoat that had such a bad timing. He glared at the doorway as Harry stepped in cautiously, clutching in his hand the Daily Prophet. And he was clearly in a state of shock.

"Do you know?" he asked vaguely.

A swoosh of irritation appeared just above Sirius' brows. "Do I know what? I know nothing! I don't know how human minds work! I don't know what people think! Am I supposed to know everything? How can you expect me to know without telling me?" barked Sirius incoherently. "What is it that I am supposed to know again?"

Harry took a step backward, taken aback. Sirius felt apologetic for his temper, but he couldn't help venting it out.

After a moment of meeting the eyes, Harry dismissed the idea of leaving his godfather alone; Sirius had got to know it. "Sirius, I thought you should know about it." he shoved the newspaper into Sirius' hand.

Sirius glared at it. It was the front page of the gossip section with the headline '**Fudge and Delanuit Engaged**' and a few photos taken during the dance.

……………………

Having had some calculation at Sirius' place, Rainzzi had decided to act cool at all prices. She didn't know if it was some psychological impact Sirius had on her, but staying with him all night, she seemed to have gained a new surge of confidence. One day ago, she relied her life on the Auror job, however, it didn't seem that important anymore, knowing at least one person on earth would back her up no matter what happened.

If she was to be frank, she couldn't reason why she had been so upset by the whole thing. Maybe it was because of all the alcohol, maybe of shock, and maybe…it was because of the association between the plot and other mishaps, she wasn't sure. But one thing she was sure about, she couldn't afford to act impulsively again; since it might affect the Order in some way or another. And most important of all, it brought her an inward scowl to imagine that Brice Fudge was possibly laughing his head off now.

She tried not to gawk when she saw the scene in the entrance to the Ministry a moment later. Twenty or so reporters were gathered at the reception, demanding to interview either Rainzzi Delanuit or Brice Fudge.

She turned and receded to a shadowy corner, keen not to be spotted. She glanced around, it's plain impossible to sneak through the crowd without being recognised. She was eyeing the fireplace hopefully when Jack, Brice's assistant, came to her.

"Miss Delanuit, Brice wants you in his office," he murmured behind his sunglasses. She nodded and he led her to the secret passageway approachable only by the most senior officials.

Entering after her, Jack pressed the button labelled 'B. Fudge' with a maneuver on the side of the door. In an instant, the wall which had been empty and vacant transformed into a door. He opened it and ushered her in.

"Thanks, Jack," said Brice, who was sitting on the leisurable sofa and twirling a goblet of wine. Jack nodded courteously and receded.

"You know what?" Brice said to Rainzzi when Jack closed the door. "This is the second round already. God knows how shocked I am to wake up in their spotlight! If the reporters track you down, say you've no comment, OK?. Let the news stir for a little longer before you nod your head. We still haven't squarely admitted you're the bride, not literally anyway."

Rainzzi stared at him fixedly, trying to keep calm and cool. In front of a large crowd, she wasn't going to demean and embarrass herself just because of some shit Brice was stirring. But she wouldn't mind acting nasty in front of him.

She waited a few seconds for the noise from the corridor to fade away. _Now, it is my round for shit-stirring_, she thought. "The bride? Well, I am not."

A silence ensued and lasted. But a chuckle was audible when Brice eventually put down the stupid goblet and stood up. Pulling a straight face and rubbing his jaw, he regarded her a moment seriously before a sneer appeared on his shaven face. "My dear, you are," he said, "And it will be an exciting event I can assure you. Preparations for the wedding have started for weeks without you knowing it."

She tried to look innocent. "Your wedding?"

"Our wedding, Delanuit. Don't play dumb with me. The wedding of Brice Fudge and Rainzzi Delanuit," he spread his arms dramatically and closed his eyes. He didn't move for the next few seconds, it was as if he was expecting the audience to start clapping. But at the absence of applause he was indifferent. "The wedding of you and me. Still find anything questionable?"

Rainzzi frowned, "Yes, you sanity."

"Tut tut tut tut," Brice shook his index finger just centimeters from her face. "Sarcasm is an odd quality. Its impact on different people differentiates. It annoys some people while it excites others. For me, it always turns me on." He studied her stubborn face for a while. "I hate to disappoint you, Rainzzi, but I really hope you didn't run to Dumbledore and asked for help last night. Because whatever that old man might have promised you would just be false hopes I am afraid."

She stared at him expressionlessly for a moment, and then all at once she broke into hysterical laughters, which intensified as she met his eyes. Brice watched quietly and waited for her laughters to die away.

She met his eyes again and coughed for a few times, wiping the corners of her eyes. To his surprise, she grabbed his head closer and stared into his eyes with a sympathetic smile. "_You _are the one having false hopes, Fudge." She knew she was playing a dangerous game, but she couldn't help it. She could have nothing to lose anyway.

He returned a matching smile. "How so?"

"You think I am going to marry you," she paused, "You think the threat of sacking me would frustrate me; you think the menace of scandalising me would destroy me. I am disappointed, Brice. I thought three years' worth of observation has made you realise something which you obviously haven't." She tilted her head to one side thoughtfully before smiling again, this time of outright arrogance. "Irritating me you can excel at, but you can't devastate me. Take my words for it, you can't. What does it prove even if I end up marrying you? It only stresses the fact that you are merely an equipment for me to rise to power. A tool. A puppet to toy with, Brice."

Brice was silent for a moment, expression impenetrable, and he didn't bother to get away from under her palm. "You have the freedom to make such an elaboration. I wouldn't mind that," he said shortly, raising his brows. "So I take it as you've decided to get along with the plan, huh?"

"Get along!" she repeated in disbelief, then jerked her hand away and shoved him away quite awkwardly, "You expect me to get along? I don't get along. I do just what I want."

"Don't hesitate if you want to be reminded of what I said last night."

"Thanks, my memory is as good as ever. And I don't like the idea of hearing those bullshit again," she said nonchalantly, walking the length of his office then leaned on the edge of his desk.

Brice walked over to her, fumbled in the mess on his desk and pulled out something. "This is for you."

Rainzzi appraised the envelope that bore a Ministry logo in the corner and discarded it, throwing it back on the table casually. "Maybe you didn't notice, things have changed."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning it won't be as easy as you think to dismiss me _now_. A letter might be what would have destroyed my career life a few years ago. But thanks to you, I have gained publicity over the years, especially after all that fuss you have just made. People know who I am, reporters are nosy about what happens to me. Do you think this dismissal can escape all the eyes of watchdogs? I'd advice you to prepare an answer in advance. You know, just to avoid _further_ making a fool of yourself."

"I apologise for underestimating you, Rainzzi," Brice leaned on the desk besides her, staring forward. "But I am glad that the game is getting more interesting."

"You're very entertaining, too."

"Thank you. This is the first time you have complimented me," Brice smirked, "As I've always said, you're a brilliant woman. But – what you've yet to understand is that when I play a game, I devote myself to it entirely. There's no backing away no matter how many thrones are out there in the path." He turned to her, "Watchdogs. You think public opinion and pressure can restrain me. I am not my father, Rainzzi. I don't care what the fuck they say about me."

"You are not your father, but you are a Fudge. Your actions affect what they think of your father."

"You still don't get my point," Brice shook his head sympathetically, "I don't even care about myself, would I bother with the reputation of that old man then?"

Masking the fact that she was disturbed, she met his gaze lightly. "So I see we are quite alike in this aspect. I don't give a damn to what people say about the Delanuits. And like you, I will not hesitate to stake everything on a single throw. I am not afraid of taking risk. The Auror job –" she squinted at the unopened envelope, "might be my aspiration, but I don't need it anyway. Money, I have loads; fame, the occupation doesn't bring anymore. Let those stupid men fight for it, for this rotten government. I'll be drinking coffee and reading the newspaper and laughing when they died protecting something unworthy of their lives."

He clapped his hands as if in admiration, but she knew otherwise. "This is an animated speech. Very captivating. Have you been practicing and rehearsing all night?"

"It just comes naturally," she shrugged amicably.

"I can see that you've taken my words to heart and are expecting the sack when you walk in the Ministry this morning. But you're still wet behind the ears in this arena," he said, straightening up and walked around the desk, taping his fingers on the rim and humming as he did so.

Her eyes followed him and watched coolly as he pulled open a drawer under his desk. She narrowed her eyes as he handed her a 2-ring file, and scowled at it.

"Open it," he prompted. She shot him a dirty glance before looking at the content. But she couldn't understand them, they were just some recordation of some sort.

Seeing her puzzlement, he took his time to explain, "These are the Apparation records of you and several other people during the last month." He swivelled around on his chair and glanced out of the window. "Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Nymphadora Tonks, Arthur Weasley…Oh, really! The list could go on forever. But you should know who they would be without me telling you."

Alarmed, she tried not to let the panic show. "I don't catch the underlying meaning behind. Is it a joke or something? Where does these people's Apparation concern me?"

"Two dozens of people Apparating at about the same hour every time and then the Monitor loses track of all their whereabouts. Checking the Customs records, they remain in the territory. It is like they are disappearing into somewhere that doesn't exist on the British map. The system may have been malfunctioning, but two dozens of people is too much of a coincidence," Brice still had his back to her, but she could just imagine the triumphant look he had on his face. "Rainzzi, you've worked quite a few years in the Auror, this should be your area of expertise. Can you offer me some professional comment?"

"My professional comment would be that you should propose some maintenance of that worn-out system," she grasped the 2-ring file tightly to keep her hand from flinching. At the same time, she looked through the documents as if obliviously; he had got the vantage now, those Apparation analysis was clearly studied and investigated.

"The same two dozens of people. Same time. Same problem. Does it occur to you that this phenomenon may be artificial?" Brice swivelled around to face her again, looking up at her with a kind of confidentiality.

"Be frank here," she said.

"I am thinking these people may be meeting periodically to draw a plot to thwart the Ministry of Magic," he said, crossing his arms above his chest. "If this is the case, I think they'd better be more cautious. You know, it's against the Law. And so far these documents you're holding is enough ammunition to sentence those people who violate the law to a 5-year imprisonment in Azkaban. But I bet they'll just be too willing to be locked up in the same prison, won't they, huh? Since they seem so fond to meet regularly."

"Typical governmental practice," Rainzzi thrust the file back at him, but half-carelessly, half-contemptuously. "The Monitor loses track of some people and then they are accused of intentionally evading supervision. It's typical really! Disguising the Ministry's impotence by deriving conspiratorial assumptions."

Brice sneered, and in slow and elegant movements walked to her again. "Anyway, you won't be involved in it, as I genuinely believe you're an exceptional case and play no part. Only those foolish people will be condemned."

"So why are you informing me of this?" she stepped away from the desk and faced him directly.

He shrugged with a chortle. "I just thought you'll be interested, since you're quite close with some of them."

"I am really impressed by your thoughtfulness," hissed Rainzzi sardonically.

"A skillful player always has a few aces prepared for emergency. Do you have any?" he asked in her ear, eyeing her with avid anticipation.

"You were right when you said the game is getting more interesting," Rainzzi managed a sneer, boring her eyes into his fearlessly, "But to think you've gained the upper hand, you're in for a surprise, Brice."

She looked at the crystal decoration on the desk for a moment, the one she knew Brice treasured, before she casually swept it onto the floor, shattering it into pieces and smiled sweetly at him. Without so much as a backward glance, she strode to the door, the sneer broad on her face until she was safely out of his office.

……………………

"Rainzzi, do you need some help there?" Tonks asked her, as she balanced the paper box which contained all her belongings in her laden arms.

"Don't bother," said Rainzzi roughly, looking at Tonks without any hint of amicability then strode past her and walked out of the office. She could feel the eyes of the people in the Auror Department surreptitiously on her and she could hear that they were gossiping among themselves. However, she was disappointed that none of them had a grasp of the accurate picture behind the 'resignation'.

Rumour had it that she was leaving her job because of the engagement with Fudge Jr. as she wanted to devote herself to married life. _Brainless gits_, she thought furiously as she progressed to the lift, _Pride themselves as intelligentsia, they are such a disgrace to Aurors. _

She was stabbing at the button when a male voice appeared just from her right. "Rainzzi."

She turned suspiciously, but saw no one. With her Auror reflexes, she went for her wand momentously but that someone caught her hand.

"It's Sirius," he said, "I am under the Invisibility Cloak."

Rainzzi's eyes swept around, glancing sharply at every direction, and her hand was still on its mid-way to fetch the wand.

"I have to talk to you."

"Not here. Not now," she murmured warningly, barely parting her lips. She knew she had to deal with him some time, but she wasn't ready. She was about to enter into the lift when she was jerked backward forcefully. She didn't struggle much, lest they should attract curiosity and attention from the others.

"Can't you find another more suitable time to talk?" she hissed under her breath as Sirius dragged her into a dilapidated women's restroom, the door of which hung a board saying it was under construction.

"No, you'll just sneak away again. I can't wait any longer." Sirius pulled the Invisibility Cloak off him, closing the door quietly. He pointed his wand to the door, "_Privatio_"

"I don't have time for this," Rainzzi muttered in an exasperated sigh as he slanted against the door.

"You never have time for this," he remarked bitterly. He took the Daily Prophet out, smoothed it and held for her to read. "What is all this shit about?"

She glowered at the newspaper unseeingly and then at him, she really didn't need anymore reminders. "I bet the article provides enough descriptions."

"Tell me all of them are not true," he said with determined calmness, shoving his hands into the pockets carefully just to keep himself from using them.

Rainzzi stared at him, irritated. His eyes were filled with expectation and were demanding, but she was not about to give in.

And it didn't take him long to realise that she wasn't planning to reply. "Rainzzi," he said, in a pleading voice this time, hoping to soften her. "Tell me they're not true."

She stared at him for a few moments, then inhaled deeply, "I am not sure myself."

There was an excruciating silence when Sirius stared at the woman before him with a variety of emotions. Longing and indignation. Confusion and desperation. Love and hate.

One moment she was leading him on to believe that they had arrived at a new stage and the next, she wasn't sure about whether to engage with another man or not. He was sure if she had been a man, he would have punched her right in the face long ago. "What do mean by you're not sure?" He was really trying hard to repress his anger, he tried, it wouldn't be his fault if he ended up attacking her. And he could see that she had sensed the hostility in the room since her hand was clutching her wand in the pocket.

Rainzzi tried to avoid his gaze, but she met her own reflection at every direction and she loathed the sight of it. "It's complicated," she rested her back on the marble wall and closed her eyes tiredly. "I don't want to choose. I hate to make decisions. Either way, there's going to be consequences."

Sirius scrutinised her face for a moment, then his temper ceased as he suspected there may be a lot more then he knew. Consequences. What did she mean? "Is Fudge intimidating you?"

She bit her bottom lip before she replied. "Kind of," she murmured, "Not life and death intimidation, but just as acute. Serious enough to foil the Order."

"Fudge found out about the Order?"

"As good as."

"But no matter what, a marriage is not something to be ventured." As Sirius' voice grew consistently louder, she opened her eyes. "If he threatens you with condemning the Order, so be it. Dumbledore will find a way out. We're on predominating ground now."

"Don't overlook Brice Fudge, he could be pretty nasty when he wants to. And he would rather end up in a lose-lose situation than to give up. Then Voldemort will be the ultimate winner."

"But I want to test Fudge's extreme," said Sirius courageously, staring into her eyes as if to make her have faith in him. Rainzzi wanted to laugh, _arrogant daredevil_, but she didn't, nor did she give any other response. "You don't want to marry him, this is what that counts. It's not that hard to make a decision. Just do whatever you wish to. Screw the consequences. Even if they involve other people, it's not your fault."

She stared at him, "What about responsibility of one's own action, Sirius?"

"You haven't intentionally boiled it up. You're not responsible for it."

She looked at him incredulously. "Would you have said the same if it's not me who's involved?"

The stubbornness on Sirius's face faltered.

"You're too selfish." The words that escaped from her own mouth surprised her.

"I don't deny I am selfish," his expression was unreadable, "And can you deny you are?"

"So, I am," she said hotly, gesturing wildly to better express herself, "Tell you what, I think I will just marry Fudge. To tell the truth, I really like money and jewelries. The prestige and fame are to die for too. I will just betray the Order and marry Fudge, and enjoy the time of my life. Is that what you're implying I should do?"

Sirius caught her hand in mid-air, "Perhaps I should make it simpler. You have no choice. Because even if you want to marry for marital benefits, you can't," he said, looking at her almost murderously, "You are mine. Rainzzi Delanuit. We engaged. You can't-"

"Have you quite finished?" she snapped suddenly.

"No, listen to me…"

"I don't have to listen to you. I am not yours, Black. And that's my business anyway. Not yours. If you are just wondering if you could help, I would deny it, though I am really grateful. My life is complicated enough, I don't appreciate any interference or…unnecessary entanglement."

"Unnecessary entanglement!" echoed Sirius incredulously. Then he grabbed her arm violently, pulling her close and squinted at her. But his tone was unexpectedly gentle when he spoke again. "You didn't seem to care last night though, huh?"

"Don't make a fuss over it, okay?" she warned, waving her hand in the air dismissively. She sighed in desperation as hurt and humiliation crossed his eyes and his face turned accusing. "How old are you, Sirius?" she paused, "It was just some kisses for crying out loud! No shagging. No sex. What implications do you want to draw from it?"

For a split second, she thought he was going to slap her right across the face, and if she was to be frank, she thought she very well deserved it. But he didn't. Instead, he just shoved her into the nearest corner and stood unflinching right in front. He reached out and cupped one of her cheek in his palm, stroking it slightly, all the while burning his eyes into the depth of hers, as though in seek of something. Love. Affection. Any recognition. Then he leaned in and kissed her.

It was an intrusive kiss, not at all comfortable, a kiss of verification. Rainzzi could feel that he was searching in her desperately, however, she could also feel that he wasn't exactly holding her tight…he seem to be offering her an easy way out. But she neither pulled away nor did she respond to the kiss. Her world was always split into halves. Everything was torn in between. She wanted to taste him, yet she didn't want him to be involved in her life. She was always bound by onuses but she hated commitments.

"Be honest to yourself," Sirius whispered in her face when he drew back, his voice frantic, leaning still closer until she had nowhere to look at but his dark eyes. "Did you feel something?"

Answering was easy. But making a decision was not. Did she feel something…anything?

There were two contradicting voices arguing in her head. One was insisting that she could just shake her head if she wasn't sure. But the other was arguing that postponing was no good, she should look into her heart and tell the truth.

_Why bother with it if you aren't sure? Just say no already! You don't care much about frustrating him anyway._

_No! It isn't about frustration. It's about responsibility! It's about dealing with it like a mature person. _

Being cornered pressurised her. It suffocated her. But she didn't try to sneak away from him, even though she knew she could summon some guard to throw him out of the Ministry if she failed to duck him by herself.

_But you aren't sure about it. Don't rush to a nice response just for the sake of satisfying others. A careless nod always brings consequences!_

_Making a casual shake of the head can make you regret too! The point is – you owe him an answer. He has been so unreserved in front of you. Does it occur to you that he deserves to be treated with the same respect?_

It was hard not to look at him, for his gaze was so fixed and determined, and he was looking at her from eye to eye. The affection and hopefulness was demonstrated openly. And it was apparent that he wouldn't go away without an answer.

_You don't owe-_

_Shut up. Rainzzi, it's not a difficult question. Start from today to be honest to yourself! Emotions and sentiments are not difficult at all to understand once you're willing to face them. Now, be honest. Tell no lies. Now, did you feel something when he kissed you?_

"Yes," replied Rainzzi quietly, "But not enough to retain me from anything."

Sirius stared at her impenetrably for a moment; it was hard to interpret his expression. It was far too complicated. Various emotions, delicate and quick-changing as the shadows of clouds on a sunny day of wind, chased one another continually over his lips and eyes.

"I thought we could work it out," he said heavily, rubbing his jaw, "I was certain we could. And I thought it's just a matter of time. I tried to flatter you. And I tried to be an obstacle just to get your attention. I tried really hard to charm you, I thought you will be captivated one day. But it's obviously a make-believe, since you are consistently resisting me, which I could kind of understand why. I don't know what I would do to a person who's the indirect reason my life was forever scarred." He sneered ironically, sending a shiver down her spine. "Perhaps I should be grateful enough that you are not particularly hostile to me anymore."

"But, Rainzzi, tell me honestly," Sirius swallowed, giving it a last try. "Is there anything that I can still do to bring back the flame?"

Their eyes fully met for a few moments. Her long lashes were casting shadows over her slightly-downcast eyes, Sirius couldn't tell what she was feeling. But he could see she was chewing her lip. He felt like a heavy something had landed on his heart, he was having problem breathing easy, as if he was waiting for a fatal sentence. He told himself not to get hopeful again, but he couldn't help it. He was quite delighted that she didn't answer him right away…his death wasn't yet certified…

"Don't expect too much from me, that's what you can do," she looked at anywhere but his eyes. "I've told you some time ago. Our accounts for the happenings between us are quite…asymmetric. You experienced a lot with me that I don't remember…In my memorandum we've just been reacquainted for little more than a month. I think there has been pretty nice progress, if you ask me. From the time when I want to curse you every time I see you to now that I kind of…manage to tolerate your existence," Rainzzi looked at him squarely in the face finally. "Things have certainly improved. It's just that you're too quick-tempered to notice that."

Sirius stared at her from eye to eye, he gripped her hand tightly. "I promise I'll be patient," he nodded solemnly, "But you have to promise me that you'll stay true to your feelings."

She gave him an once-over but nodded nonetheless with the faintest smile. "I promise you."

* * *

_**A/N: **__SO HOW'S IT! Succeeds to change your opinion of Rainzzi? I really hope it does. Anyway, the story will progress to a new stage with Rainzzi and Sirius vs Brice and the Order vs Ministry and Death Eaters. _

_Also, as always, thanks for reading…and __**PLEASE REVIEW! Your opinions will be appreciated! **_♥


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Don't let me keep you, go ahead and read. For actual A/N, see footer.

–––––––––––––––––  
**Chapter 15  
**–––––––––––––––––

With a flick of the wand, the forbidding gates to Hogwarts opened soundlessly and walked in an elegant, blond woman. Her head held high, but intentionally or not, the greater part of her face was shadowed by the purple, velvet hat seating lopsidedly on her head. She shot a brief glance over her shoulder before she proceeded.

Idly she halted a bit when she reached the lake and took in the mid-August view of Hogwarts. Although she couldn't remember what Hogwarts should be like during school-time, she hadn't expected the Hogwarts castle could actually give her the creeps. She stared at the lifeless castle for another moment, but realising she was wasting time, she quickened her pace towards it.

She had nearly reached the doors to the Entrance Hall when a voice stopped her.

"Who's it over there?"

She turned around and found herself looking at a balding man in his early fifties carrying a cat. _He'll be the caretaker Sirius mentioned about_, she told herself mentally.

"I'm here on an appointment with the Headmaster," she made up an excuse carefully. "Please, I am a candidate for the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher post."

"Lies," the caretaker sneered, baring his yellow teeth. "I know where you're coming from, young lady. People trying to sneak in the castle have used this excuse over and over. I'm not stupid enough to fall into the trap again! I…"

"Please," the woman cut in sweetly, and adjusted her hat so that she could look him in the eye directly. The caretaker met her stare for a moment, and all of a sudden, he stiffened as though a strong wind had swooped past. The cat he was carrying purred but he didn't seem to notice.

The caretaker stared at her unseeingly as though bewitched before he opened the doors with his keys, quickly turned around and left towards the opposite direction.

The woman smiled and quickly walked in. Watching as the double doors slid back to place, she waited for another moment before she pointed her wand at herself, her eyes closed and her expression solemn.

A second later, Rainzzi Delanuit was standing where the woman had disappeared. She murmured a spell and from the tip of her wand came her own reflection. She barely gave her dark-haired reflection a glance before she pocketed her wand and headed straight to the Headmaster's office.

Walking along the corridor to the phoenix statue, she could hear noise. As she drew closer to the spiral staircase, the voices grew louder, there was unmistakably a fierce argument in the office above. But before she could pull out her wand to conjure a Patronus to inform the Headmaster of her arrival, the spiral staircase sprung into life suddenly. Rainzzi waited expectantly as the footsteps drew nearer, but her expression hardened when she realised who it was that was descending.

It was Severus Snape. Though hardly really known each other in profile, Rainzzi had met him quite a few times in some official occasions before she rejoined the Order, where they would nod at each other in recognition. But she had learnt enough of his history and from Neville to know what kind of a man he was. And she knew well he, too, didn't approve of her, whether it was because of her relationship with Sirius she didn't know. But the thing was, even though they were not really outwardly hostile to each other, she knew they would never see each other eye-to-eye, and neither made an effort to mask that fact.

They looked at each other without a single ounce of friendliness. Snape made sure the spiral staircase had turned dead again before he begun, bad tempered. "Well, well, well…" he hissed in a tone he clearly considered threatening. "Who we've got here?" he paused for effect, "The soon-to-be Mrs. Brice Fudge!"

Rainzzi's face darkened, but she did well in hiding her annoyance. "I've never considered you to be another gossiper, Snape."

"Gossip, did you call it?" said Snape softly. "You can hardly call it a gossip when it's announced by the Minister himself, can you? And let me guess, how long have you been dreaming for the moment to come? Three months? Or possibly more?"

Rainzzi strode past Snape, bumping into his shoulder as she did. But Snape was quick in blocking the way. "Anxious to dismiss the topic, aren't we?"

He walked around Rainzzi, circling her, scrutinised her critically and wrinkled his large nose as he did. "Daughter of Ex-Minister, and now…a soon-to-be daughter-in-law of Fudge. For years, you have struggled to rise to the top ranks in the Ministry. I don't understand why nobody sees right through the Pro-Ministry side in your bones."

Rainzzi shrugged and looked up at him lazily, "So I see you don't trust me. And let's be frank, I think I don't have _any_ reasons to trust you either."

The remark didn't surprise Snape. "At the end of the day, what matters is who Dumbledore trusts, isn't it?"

"I value Dumbledore's trust, but that's not all that counts. People's faith in general is vital to success, too," said Rainzzi easily. For a split second, she considered leaving it there, but she decided against it almost immediately. "So, Snape," she added, "Do you really think people believe it when you claimed you have turned over a new leaf?" She lowered her voice, "I bet majority of them don't. Because you are once a spy, then you're forever an unreliable figure. That's the way it goes."

"Nice observation," Snape's voice turned dangerous. "And do I have to remind you that you yourself have been claiming to be a spy on the Ministry?"

Rainzzi pulled out her wand and conjured a Patronus. She smirked as she continued. "But there's such a difference between us phenomenally. You joined the Dark Lord first and have been a really loyal Death Eater before you claimed to have seen the mistakes of the old days and turned spying on their side when you're freaked out. While I –"

"You joined the Ministry first and have been a really loyal –"

"Let me finish, Snape," Rainzzi interrupted in a louder voice, "Yes, I did join the Ministry first and I don't deny I had once been a loyal officer of the Ministry. But then again, the Ministry and Albus Dumbledore had once acted as one, hadn't they? Had I not join the Order immediately when the Ministry parted with Dumbledore and advanced on the wrong path?" She paused confidentially and once again she gave Snape a malicious smile. "And to compare us would be unrealistic. Tell me, what have you done when you were still a Death Eater? Probably killed a hundred innocents?"

Rainzzi could see Snape's ugly face contorting with rage and that gave her an odd sense of satisfaction as she knew she had touched a nerve. "On the contrary, what have I done when I was still a genuine Ministry officer? Caught a hundred troublemakers, if not more. And tell me; does the Dark Mark on your wrist still burn when You-Know-Who summons his Death Eaters?"

Snape was now contorting so furiously that he seemed to be trembling all over, his hand tight on his wand. Rainzzi was quite sure that he would have cursed her long ago if they were not standing at the bottom of the staircase to Dumbledore's office. And she half wished Snape would lose control of himself so she'd have a good reason to be provoked into a real fight with him.

She shot him a daring look as the spiral staircase sprung to life again, rotating on its accord, and Fawkes the phoenix was mid-way down the stairway, anticipating Rainzzi to follow him up.

"You talk big, Delanuit," Snape hissed through clenched teeth, and it looked as though it was taking all his energy to suppress his anger. "Arrogance has blinded you. You're confident that you're trusted. Go on then, Dumbledore is waiting for you. But contradicting what you think, he may as well be reassessing your loyalty right now."

"I'll bear that possibility in mind," Rainzzi said mildly before she stepped into the stairway, which instantaneously accelerated, her hand still firm on her wand.

Despite the confidence she showed Snape, when the owl from Dumbledore reached her earlier that day, she had not completely overlooked the possibility, however little it was, that she would have a hard time proving where her loyalty lay, and she wouldn't blame Dumbledore if that actually happened.

Imagine if it was a fellow Order member that was suddenly announced to be engaged to the son of Cornelius Fudge, she would have got suspicious, too.

Rainzzi fumbled slightly in her pocket and looked thoughtfully at a tiny flask, which contained a mouthful of transparent liquid – the Truth Potion. Though prepared psychologically, she hoped she wouldn't have to use it as a last resort to prove her innocence. She dug it back into her pocket when the staircase came to an abrupt halt.

Dumbledore had his back to her when she stepped into his circular, high-ceiled office, pondering over what seemed to be his pensieve and seemingly deep in thought. Rainzzi stood mutely as he placed the tip of his wand into his silvery hair, near his temple, and pulled out a glistering strand of memory. He added it to the basin and swirled the substance inside around with his wand, as though mixing ingredients of a bowl of soup.

"Hi, Rainzzi," said Dumbledore softly as he turned to face her. "Sorry for keeping you wait."

"It doesn't matter," Rainzzi shook her head nervously and added in a rushed voice, her fingers crossed in the pocket of her robes. "Professor, I know what happened last night might have appeared as if I am –"

But Professor Dumbledore held up a hand to stop her. "I think I have quite well a guess of the accurate picture of what happened."

"You do?" asked Rainzzi in surprise.

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded reassuringly. "I guess Cornelius Fudge is desperate to rebuild the community's optimism and their faith in the Ministry, and thus your engagement with Mr. Fudge Junior."

Rainzzi nodded.

"Between you and me," Dumbledore added, "I think Cornelius's bid to rebuild confidence is just a short-sighted one to get him through the next Minister election. And he did so by disclosing only an incomplete version of the truth, which I may call a 'beautiful deception'. He has been trying so hard to make the people believe the current situation is brighter than it actually was. I cannot deny that most of the people tend to feel better with this belief. But the truth is always cruel, and in such dangerous a time, make-believes can be extremely detrimental. Instead, the earlier they embrace the truth, the more prepared they would be, and this is the only way that the community will truly be consolidated in the long run… Rainzzi, am I right in assuming your engagement with Brice Fudge to be part of a series of attempt on Cornelius's part to fool the public?"

"Yes," Rainzzi answered immediately, and she found herself relax a great deal. It was much less complicated that what she expected. "And I knew nothing whatsoever about the engagement before it was announced."

"Just what I thought," Dumbledore concluded easily.

Rainzzi faltered unsurely. "Professor, can I ask you something?"

"Please do."

Rainzzi looked down hesitantly, a bit embarrassed somehow. "How did you guess? I mean… of course I didn't want to marry Brice Fudge as our parents wish, but how do you know I am not behind the engagement plot too? You know… a lot of people believe I am marrying him because of marital benefits."

Dumbledore gave her a gentle smile, and indicated that she should walk closer to him. "Because I know what a person you are. Surely you have some Slytherin in your heart, but I dare say the Gryffindor part greatly outweigh it. When it comes to a situation as extreme as that, it's not in your nature to venture for external gains."

When Rainzzi finally joined him in front of his pensieve, Dumbledore was prodding his thoughts in the basin with the tip of his wand. "In my memories, you are and have always been a person of courage and principles."

She could feel herself blush, and she didn't know how to respond. But even if she did, she had no time for it. "Is that –" she couldn't bring herself to finish the question as she saw the figure risen out of the basin.

Dumbledore nodded, and stared at it attentively. Rainzzi followed suit, mesmerised, and watched as the silvery materials around the figure sort of expanded to reveal the surroundings. She found it almost hard to breathe. She was looking at the younger version of herself walking into the same office she was in now – the seventeen-year-old Rainzzi Delanuit striding into the Headmaster's office.

A Head Girl badge was attached to the front of the younger Rainzzi's cloak and she began to speak, her voice echoed as though it came from the depths of the stone basin. "Professor –"

She hesitated as she saw who was seated opposite the Headmaster. "Mo-" she stopped herself just in time, regained her composure before she turned passionless once again. "Mrs. Bagnold-Delanuit," she acknowledged politely.

The middle-aged woman nodded, a frown carving on her forehead.

The younger Rainzzi looked at Albus Dumbledore directly, "Professor McGonagall just told me Hogwarts is to be closed in a week's time."

"Yes, Rainzzi," said Dumbledore sadly, "I'm afraid what Professor McGonagall said is true. Millicent and I have agreed that there's no better alternative."

"But Professor Dumbledore, you can't do this!"

"May I ask why?"

"Because, Professor, there's no safer place than Hogwarts. Students are safe so long as they're at Hogwarts. News of tragic deaths came almost every day but there has not been a single death of the Hogwarts students –"

"That's the point, isn't it?" Millicent Bagnold-Delanuit interrupted in an authoritative tone, obviously irritated by her daughter's presence. "There has not been a single death of the Hogwarts students, and we'd better shut the school down before there's any."

"I know what you're thinking about, mother," said Rainzzi daringly.

"Oh, really?" Millicent glared dagger at her.

"You're just shutting the school to make sure that you and your office will not be blamed for any deaths," Rainzzi glared back. "You're just afraid that the Ministry will be held responsible for any deaths inside the school since Hogwarts is so closely associated with the Ministry. And you think that once they are outside the school staying with their families –"

"Shut your mouth!" Millicent was almost shouting now.

Rainzzi's glance stayed on her for a bare second before she directed her answer to Dumbledore, looking determined to overlook the presence of her mother. "Professor, you can't shut the school down! The Gringotts Bank has just collapsed. The bank-run is spreading. People's confidence is severely shaken now. Hogwarts is their last source of hope. With Hogwarts shut down, it will be like the end of the world."

Rainzzi was fully aware that her mother was now glaring at her with more hatred than ever, but she didn't seem to care. "Professor, you know it. You know people do not have faith in the impotent government any–"

_Slash!_

Millicent had slapped her daughter, hard. "No one asked for your comment! And get out before I made you to!"

Dumbledore stood up in alarm. "Millicent, I don't appreciate any Hogwarts students getting beaten like that!" He walked over to Rainzzi. "Are you okay?" he asked her tentatively.

Rainzzi held her head low, and for a few seconds she didn't move, a red handprint forming on her cheek. Her eyes over-bright, she looked on the verge of crying, but she suppressed herself. "Professor," she swallowed slightly, "please, at least keep Hogwarts running for those who wish to remain. Please."

Dumbledore nodded and shot Millicent a warning look before she did anything. "I think I'll reconsider the notions. Go back to the Gryffindor Common Room; I will talk to you later."

Rainzzi was still holding her breathes as she saw the younger shadowy version of herself dematerialised slowly. She stared at the silvery and opaque substance in the basin for a bit longer. "Dumbledore," she began, and cleared her throat as she realised her voice was all odd and high-pitched. "What…what did you do at the end?"

"I kept the school running for those who wish to remain," Dumbledore smiled, "just as you suggested."

She forced a smile and went silent. Rainzzi stared down at Dumbledore's pensieve again, perplexed. Though people had occasionally talked to her about how she used to be like, she had never actually watched her younger self in other people's pensieve. She had been afraid all along of looking into her own past, but she turned out to be quite nice in the old days. However, all she had now was a complicated feeling.

And among the various mingled emotions, the only one she could identify with no mistakes was disappointment. But it wasn't like it hurt her to see her mother slapping her, in fact, she had never held any expectations on her mother's maternal love for her. She had long accepted the fact that both her parents disliked her and gradually the hostile feeling had grown mutual until Rainzzi turned completely indifferent to their existence. Rather, she attributed the disappointment to the expectations, which she had never acknowledged before now, she placed on looking at the forgotten part of herself. With due fairness, she had been adorable in her old days, but she found her younger self oddly foreign to her.

It was definitely her, she knew it at first glance. She had anticipated just minutes ago that the scene in the pensieve would at least stir a ring, but she turned more apathetic every second as the past was revealed. Her mind went blank, the watching got impersonal as though she was just part of the audience enjoying a drama in theatre. She had major difficulty in bridging the woman and the girl together and all of a sudden she felt an unexplainable sense of loss.

"Anything troubling you, Rainzzi?" the Headmaster said as he observed her.

Rainzzi considered keeping it to herself but she suspected Dumbledore was the only one who could provide her with a satisfactory answer.

"How could you be so sure that I am loyal to you just by judging what I used to be like?" she knew it must sound peculiar, but she found no better way of expressing it. "I mean, how do you know I still am the Rainzzi Delanuit you used to know?"

Though she had no intention of worrying anyone, Rainzzi was pleased to see that Dumbledore looked more concerned than alarmed, or worse, suspicious.

"The first thing you have got to understand, Rainzzi," he stared at her firmly, then to her surprise, he clasped his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle shake, "is that there is one and only one Rainzzi Delanuit in this world. I know losing your memories might have made your life appear as if it was split into two parts, but try not to think of yourself as two different persons before and after that tragedy. Because what you lost fifteen years ago was merely your memory, not your heart, your spirit. And one's spirit is what characterises a person." Dumbledore pointed at his chest to reinforce his point.

Rainzzi was too confused to make any response when he finished, slowly digesting his words all over again. She wasn't sure if she entirely understood and agreed with what he said, all she knew was that all of a sudden, she had developed a new surge of respect towards Dumbledore.

"And Rainzzi," Dumbledore said after a while, "it is based on my belief that your loyalty resides in the Order that I ask you to do something for me."

"Anything," she said promptly, and she knew she meant it by heart.

–––––––––––––––––

Silently Sirius sat in front of the Shrieking Shack, where he could overlook the whole of Hogsmeade while at the same time enjoyed some solitary moments that he was always exploited of. All alone by himself, staring at the entrance to Hogsmeade every now and then and back, he could remember it's exactly where they had started going out.

A tiny smile clung to his lips as he savoured the memory.

It had been in the winter during his seventh year, three months after he had first started asking her out, that she finally confessed she liked him, too. But even so, Sirius was pretty sure that it wasn't exactly when she had fallen for him, though she wouldn't admit it.

His smile broadened he shifted his mind to think over what had happened in these few days. And he wondered when Rainzzi had fallen in love with him again _this_ time. He suspected that Rainzzi hadn't fallen for him again just recently, not in the dilapidated restroom in the Ministry, and probably not in the pub where he found her last night. The only problem all along had been to make Rainzzi recognise her own feeling and admit it.

Sirius had assumed, for a stubborn woman like her, it could be frightening to discover that her feeling was turning dependent on someone other than herself and it had become a major obstacle in trying to reconcile with her. He had tried everything to overcome it and found his effort in vain, but sarcastically, her political engagement with Brice Fudge seemed to have acted as a turning point. As much as he hate to admit it, Sirius couldn't help thinking maybe the engagement was a blessing in disguise as he spotted Rainzzi emerging from Hogwarts' direction.

He apparated to just where she was, and it made her jump.

"You scare me!" said Rainzzi, though she didn't really look scared. Spontaneously they interchanged a little grin, before she looked away. She lowered her voice when she spoke again. "Have you had the Apparation monitoring system taken care of?"

"Yes," Sirius said, patting his pocket inside which the invisibility cloak lay. "So, what did Dumbledore say? He believes you aren't behind the engagement, doesn't he?"

"He knows Cornelius Fudge too well to suspect me."

"Just checking. Actually," he added, glancing around to see if somebody's looking their way, "let's go back to my place before we talk more about it."

To his relief, Rainzzi nodded. He took her hand in his, pulled her close to him and disapparated. Sirius was still holding her hand when he disarmed the locking spells he had imposed on the door.

"So what's Dumbledore planning to do?" said Sirius once they were safely inside his house.

Rainzzi shrugged as she sat down on the comfy sofa. "Reading between lines, I think he's turned entirely faithless in Fudge's government and he kind of tipped me that some seniors of the Ministry are plotting a gradual coup d'etat to throw Fudge and his confidants out of office. So all Dumbledore has got to do is to do nothing to retain Fudge and make sure the next Minister is a more capable and co-operative candidate."

"About time," Sirius said curtly.

She hesitated for a bit as she appeared to be weighing whether to tell whatever it was that she's got in mind. "Sirius," said Rainzzi eventually, "There's something I think I have got to tell you."

She sounded so serious that Sirius swivelled round from where he was redoing the locks to gaze at her. "Yeah? Go on." He stared at her fixedly as he settled besides her; he's got the impression that it wouldn't be good news.

Rainzzi took a deep breath before she began slowly. "I have decided…I mean, I know it's more or less a matter of time before Cornelius Fudge is thrown out of the Ministry…but still, there are chances that he isn't…not soon enough." Sirius had a sick suspicion that he knew where this was going. "And…should the time come when it becomes necessary that I marry Brice Fudge in order to keep abreast of the Ministry's moves. I have decided I will do it. And before you jump to the wrong conclusion, I want to emphasise that it's my own decision, Dumbledore didn't force me into it. He hasn't even said anything about it."

Instead of what she might have expected, Sirius didn't protest at once, he just met her eyes intently, as though trying to read her mind. His calmness surprised even himself.

"I understand," said Sirius flatly, more to himself than to her. It wasn't the first time he had experienced war. He had witnessed lots of cases where people gradually surrender to the sake of personal welfare when faced with an extreme dilemma. And for that reason alone, he admired her more than he had ever had, for her unconditional allegiance for the Order.

"I can understand that," Sirius repeated, "I guess in times like this, we'll always have to prioritise the big picture, won't we?" he sighed, squeezing her hand slightly. "But believe me when I say this, I will do all it takes to twist the situation before you have to marry anyone you don't like."

For a long moment, they held each other's eyes in an intense stare.

"Thanks, Sirius. I appreciate it," Rainzzi whispered, looking quite sentimental. She leaned over unexpectedly and pressed her lips on his, laying down a short, tender kiss. There was nothing like that kiss. They were kissing this time not because she's miserable and confused or because he was trying desperately to prove something to both of them. They kissed purely because they liked each other. Instinctively Sirius wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her delicately as though he was afraid he would hurt her.

When Rainzzi pulled away, she held his stare for a brief moment. He noticed she was blushing slightly, and judging by the smug look on her face, he could tell she was quite satisfied, too, and this brought a smile to his lips.

–––––––––––––––––

"So, Rainzzi," said Sirius, as he handed her a cup of coffee, "What're you going to do now?" He deliberately avoided mentioning the fact that she was removed from the Auror Department, which would probably ruin the atmosphere.

"I dunno. Take up more responsibilities for the Order maybe," said Rainzzi, in a bored tone, but then she brightened. "In fact, Dumbledore wants me to talk to my brother."

"What? Talk to Sunny?"

She looked up at him in astonishment, "Why? Do you know him?"

"Of course I know him," said Sirius matter-of-factly, but then it occurred to him that perhaps it was not at all obvious for Rainzzi after all. "Sunny used to be the only one in your family who approved of us."

"Really?" Rainzzi sounded only vaguely interested.

"Yes. At first, your parents just turned a blind eye to us when they found out; I bet they didn't expect the relationship to last. It wasn't until you graduated from Hogwarts that they started to interfere. But Sunny was all supportive of us, he had kind of egged you on to rebel against your parents. In fact, the house besides this was bought by Sunny as your eighteenth birthday present."

"Uh-huh."

If he was expecting any answer, it clearly wasn't that. Her lack of enthusiasm in the topic had somewhat disappointed him. Sirius glanced at her; Rainzzi was staring as the coffee in the cup swirled around and she had got a faraway on her face. She took a sip of the coffee uncomfortably when she realised he was scrutinising her. She grimaced as she swallowed down the drink.

"One and a half spoonful of sugar," said Sirius, grinning, "Just how you like it."

Rainzzi raised her brows before she shook her head mildly, "In fact, I like black coffee. I never add sugar."

"Sorry, I must have remembered it wrongly," Sirius apologised quickly. But that wasn't the truth. He had lost track of the number of times that they had made drinks together, and every time she insisted on adding one and a half spoonful of sugar, no more, no less, whether it's a glass of milk or apple juice, or a cup of coffee. It was always the same, and then they would share the drink though Sirius had never got a liking for sugar.

"Let me make another one for you," Sirius reached for her cup, but stopped in his track when Rainzzi tugged on his hand.

"I watched myself in Dumbledore's pensieve today," she said awkwardly and paused. "I was seventeen at that time."

"Did you?" he asked, looking more excited than ever, although he knew right away that he wouldn't be involved as he had already left school when she was seventeen. Sirius listened intently when she began to explain in detail what she had seen in Dumbledore's pensieve, every single flow of conversation. Sirius glanced at her in concern surreptitiously when she got to the part where her mother got infuriated and slapped her right across her cheek, but surprisingly, she looked more puzzled than troubled.

Sirius was touching her cheek slightly as she finished. "Actually, I am not upset by the way my mother treated me," Rainzzi stated truthfully.

"I am just sorry that of _all _the wonderful scenes, you've to witness this one." Which was true, like what he had reminded her, the part of life where her parents had been involved was by no standard memorable, whilst she herself had admitted the time they spent together was much more valuable.

Sirius observed her relaxed facial features hesitantly; he had always been waiting for the appropriate moment so that the suggestion wouldn't appear at odds. And now that she had brought it up, the time seemed to be ripe for suggesting again. "Rainy," he said softly, "Wanna have a go in my pensieve? I am sure it will be more interesting."

All of a sudden, Rainzzi turned rigid, and for some reason, she looked almost appalled, and somewhat frightened by the idea. "Is that necessary?" she eyed him with fatigue, "now that we're back together?"

"I just think it won't hurt," Sirius said quietly.

Rainzzi hesitated. "Maybe later." She gave a yawn, and stood up abruptly, "I have to go back to the Mansion."

He didn't make her stay, both because he understood she just needed to be make appearance at her parents' house and he had the impression that she was evading the issue. And as much as he wanted to unmask the past with her, he just let her be, as he didn't want to pressurise her; the newfound relationship was just precious to risk.

However, after Rainzzi had apparated, Sirius couldn't help imagining how many joyful moments his pensieve could reveal as he leaned back and rested his head on the sofa.

* * *

_**A/N: **__I apologise for the long wait, I am terribly sorry about it… Well, to tell the truth, I have had a big debate against myself whether I should update this story or not. Don't take me wrong, I totally love this story, and I know where it's heading, it's just that I haven't updated for like 9 months, and I don't know whether anyone is still interested in it. So I am basically testing her. __**Please, if you read this, leave me a review**__. I know, if it turned out that everyone has lost their interest, I've probably brought it on myself, and I promise I'll shut up._

_But before I actually shut up, I'll give you a trailer here. Two chapters from this, Rainzzi will actually go into Sirius's pensieve, and the chapter will be called "Sirius's best memory", but the outcome may not be what you think. (Coughs) I am telling you this because after reading this chapter, you'll all hate me for keeping her away from the pensieve. And I don't want you to lose interest in it (that's, assuming you still have some) just because of this. So…sorry again I love you all._


End file.
